Pien Meulensteen has made headlines following her holiday with BBC star Gethin Jones

She is the striking Sky Sports presenter who has sparked fresh headlines after enjoying a winter getaway with Gethin Jones to celebrate his 48th birthday.

Meulensteen is a successful broadcaster and has presented on Sky Sports

But while fans of the BBC Morning Live star have been quick to speculate about his personal life in recent months, few may realise that the woman now linked to him comes from one of football’s most influential backroom dynasties.

Her father is Rene Meulensteen, who helped transform Cristiano Ronaldo into a superstar

Pien Meulensteen, 29, is the daughter of legendary coach Rene Meulensteen — the man who served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s trusted lieutenant at Manchester United for six crucial years between 2007 and 2013.

A New Chapter — And Not the Woman Everyone Expected

The development comes amid persistent rumours previously linking Gethin romantically to his BBC Morning Live co-host Helen Skelton — speculation that has now firmly been put to rest.

Those close to the presenter say Jones is “happily moving forward” and enjoying time with Pien, marking a clear shift away from workplace romance chatter.

While neither has issued a formal public statement, their shared holiday, relaxed social media exchanges and increasingly visible time together have been widely interpreted as confirmation that this is more than just a friendship.

The Football Brain Behind a Global Superstar

Pien’s father, Rene Meulensteen, is best known for his pivotal role during Manchester United’s modern golden era. While Ferguson commanded the spotlight, Meulensteen worked tirelessly behind the scenes — refining technique, sharpening mentality and extracting elite performance from world-class players.

During his six-year spell at Old Trafford, United secured three Premier League titles, the Champions League, and two League Cups.

Perhaps his most enduring legacy, however, lies in his work with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking previously to the BBC, Meulensteen described Ronaldo using two defining traits: “drive” and “focus.”

“He was incredibly talented when he arrived,” Meulensteen said. “But when you bring that much talent through the door, the challenge is unlocking its full potential.”

He recalled a crucial period when Ronaldo was suspended and stayed behind while the first team travelled, allowing Meulensteen to work intensively with him over several days.

“He was very skilful, but sometimes it was just a step-over for a step-over’s sake,” he explained. “I wanted everything to lead to an end product. I wanted him to be more effective, more clinical.”

His objective was simple but transformative: turn Cristiano from someone who could score into a true goalscorer.

The results were extraordinary. Ronaldo scored 26 goals in the 2008–09 season, earning a record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid and setting him on the path to becoming one of football’s greatest-ever players.

“Cristiano always wanted the most beautiful goal,” Meulensteen added. “I had to teach him that every goal counts — even in training. That mindset changed everything.”

Following Her Own Path in the Spotlight

While her father was shaping football history, Pien was quietly forging a career of her own — one that has now made her a familiar face to millions of football fans.

Born in the Netherlands and fluent in both Dutch and English, she began her broadcasting journey at BBC Manchester while studying journalism at the University of Salford.

She has since gone on to present for ITV, DAZN, Sky Sports, and the Premier League’s in-house channel, earning praise for her confident on-air presence and deep understanding of the game.

Her talents extend beyond presenting. Pien has also taken on commentary duties and, in 2023, made history by becoming the first woman to commentate on a live Premier League match for Sky Sports.

This week, she was back on screen leading coverage of Arsenal’s dramatic 2–2 draw with Wolves, underlining her status as one of football broadcasting’s fastest-rising stars.

The Holiday That Sparked Headlines

Attention around the pair intensified after Gethin shared images from their ski trip in Morzine, captioning the post with warmth and humour.

“A quality few days in Morzine with a top-class group — the padel princesses,” he wrote.

He added: “First time I went to the mountains I raced half-pipe and tried a ski jump around 20 years ago… this time I finally took a lesson — and it really helped.”

Waiting, he joked, “for the queen of socials @pienmeulensteen to send some reels.”

Putting Past Rumours to Rest

The timing of the getaway comes shortly after Helen Skelton publicly addressed — and firmly dismissed — romance rumours involving Gethin.

“No,” she told The Mirror when asked about dating speculation. “We’re just work friends. We always have been.”

She added: “They printed pictures of us at work and said we were together — but that’s just us doing our jobs.”

With that chapter closed, all signs now point to Gethin embracing a fresh start — alongside a woman whose career is rising just as quickly as his own.

Daily Mail has contacted representatives for both Gethin Jones and Pien Meulensteen for comment.

Source: 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/