Mail head of sport Lee Clayton is to take on the same role at radio station talkSPORT.
Clayton, who oversaw the merger of the Daily, Mail on Sunday and Mail Online in 2014, leaves after 14 years at Associated News.
Under his leadership, the Daily Mail was judged sports newspaper of the year four times between 2013 and 2016 at the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards. His reporters have consistently featured in the SJA honours list too.
Clayton is no stranger to broadcast. While he was sports editor at the Sunday People, he presented a Sunday morning breakfast show on talkSPORT.
He told UK Press Gazette: “After 14 years at the Mail this fantastic opportunity was presented to me.
My new role is the radio equivalent of being given the chance to have a daily kick-around with Ronaldo and Messi
“I’m incredibly excited about it. talkSPORT has always had a place in my heart so now to have the chance to run it is a dream come true.”
Clayton, who has been a print journalist for three decades, will be in charge of a drive to integrate the sports content with teams across all the platforms with the News UK group – including The Times, The Sun and the Sunday Times.
Wireless Group chief executive Scott Taunton said: “Lee brings with him a wealth of sporting knowledge and content and I was particularly struck by his passion for both radio and publishing – a key factor for us. I am simply delighted to have someone of his calibre on board.”
Clayton added: “I am thrilled with my appointment and this opportunity to head-up the country’s leading sports radio station.
“talkSPORT is the home of sports radio and my new role is the radio equivalent of being given the chance to have a daily kick-around with Ronaldo and Messi.
“Having spent 30 years in national newspapers as well as a three-year stint presenting on talkSPORT this feels like the perfect storm of radio and publishing coming together.”
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