Sport
I’m an award-winning, multi-platform freelance journalist with a talent for uncovering and telling compelling stories.
I've reported news and feature articles for various international media including in Australia, the US and the UK on everything from travel and sport to beer, business and science. I've written for media including Forbes, The Guardian, BBC Sport, Lonely Planet, The Telegraph, ABC News, The Australian, Beer Advocate, SBS, The Saturday Paper, QWeekend magazine, New Scientist and Off The Pitch.
I am based in Valencia, Spain, and available for commissions in Europe. Contact me at: [email protected]
Sport
I am a Senior Contributor for Forbes Sportsmoney, focusing on football (soccer). My articles, including interviews with top players, club owners and investors, are available here.
When King Osei Gyan thinks of his childhood in Nima, he doesn't remember a "slum". He remembers music, spontaneous dance performances and kids playing soccer "everywhere". Where outsiders to this area of Ghana's capital Accra may see poverty, Gyan sees opportunity. What Nima may lack in infrastructure, it makes up for in talent.
"Do we have three or four hours so I can tell you what happened in that 35, 40 seconds?" I have just asked Alessandro Del Piero, the legendary former Juventus and Italy forward, what was going through his head as he stepped up to take a penalty in the 2006 World Cup final shootout.
It is easy to feel cynical when an international brand trumpets its latest partnership as something special that will spark positive action or drive change. After all, the goal of for-profit businesses is, ultimately, to make a profit. The point of sponsoring a sporting event or competition is, ultimately, to sell more sneakers or subscriptions or soft drink.
If such a thing as a "typical" professional soccer player exists, Héctor Bellerín is not it. Few players are as comfortable on the pitch as they are addressing the prestigious Oxford Union. Few players speak out about mental health or their concern for the future of the planet.
When Weston McKennie saw the video of George Floyd being killed, he knew he had to do something to pay respects to the man whose life was taken. The FC Schalke 04 and USMNT midfielder wore a black armband during Saturday's Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen with a written message: "Justice for George".
These days, when Leon Bailey glides past an opponent, shows off his searing pace or scores a back-heeled goal, it is against fellow professionals. But once, it was in pickup games against boys who were bigger and stronger than he was.
Chris Smalling was six weeks away from going to university when his life took an unexpected turn. He had a place to study financial economics but the then 18-year-old got an even better offer - to play soccer in the Premier League.
During a 15-year playing career, Mathieu Flamini has "tried it all" in an effort to reach peak performance. In spells playing in the top divisions of England, France, Italy and Spain, the professional soccer player has worked with countless experts to ensure he performs at his best.
Tyrone Mings has been preparing for life without soccer his entire life. It is seven years since Mings, 27, called in sick to the office where he worked as a mortgage advisor to play in a trial match. It was his last chance to make it as a professional.
Soccer has given a lot to U.S. Women's National Team co-captain Alex Morgan. She has represented her country against teams from all over the world. She is admired and adored by millions of fans. And she has twice reached the summit of her sport, as an Olympic gold medallist and World Cup winner.
There was once a man in Bulgaria, or maybe it was Hungary, who provided an in-demand service for the world's top soccer clubs. "You'd say 'can you give us these specific games?'
Former Granada CF president Lizhang "John" Jiang wants to return to lead the LaLiga club in the coming months. In September, Granada made the surprise announcement that the Chinese marketing executive had been replaced as president by Renato Yi.
Unlocking insights from data and growing their brand internationally are key to a global strategy to turn Sevilla FC into one of the world's best teams. The Andalusian club's ambitious plan aims to substantially grow revenues off the pitch and ensure Sevilla compete with the world's best clubs on it.
One of the first things visitors to the Angel City Football Club website see is an invitation - to "join the team that changes the game forever". It's a bold claim, but one this fledgling club is determined to live up to.
The financial hit of COVID-19 will impact Valencia CF for a "minimum" of this season and next, club president Anil Murthy has told offthepitch.com. In an exclusive interview, Murthy outlined the effect of the pandemic on the Spanish side, why several first team players were sold and a future strategy focused on the academy.
When devising a new and wide-reaching digital strategy for FC Barcelona, Dídac Lee did not look to traditional arch-rivals Real Madrid as a benchmark. Nor did the Barcelona board member compare his club to other established international football brands, like Manchester United, or those pursuing global recognition, like Paris Saint-Germain.
As a striker making his debut for Brighton & Hove Albion, Maheta Molango scored after 12 seconds. Sixteen years later, having swapped his boots for the boardroom, the Swiss executive believes he is equally adept at sensing opportunities away from the pitch.
Aivi Luik and Alex Chidiac may be at opposite ends of their respective careers but they share a dream. The women, who consider each other surrogate sisters, are Australian footballers. Both are midfielders. Both play for clubs in Spain. And both are desperate to play for the Matildas in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
It was a flyer, from his football coach. It said Jamaica's women's national team - the Reggae Girlz - needed help. "Prior to that, I wasn't aware of their existence," Marley, the eldest child of late reggae legend Bob Marley and wife Rita, tells The World Game.
In December, FIFA revealed the list of 27 referees and 48 assistant referees who would officiate at this year's tournament. Three Australians were on it. W-League referees Casey Reibelt and Kate Jacewicz will be two of the women in the middle, while A-League official Chris Beath will be a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Euro 2020: Northern Ireland v Estonia Venue: National Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast Date: Thursday, 21 March Kick-off: 19:45 GMT Coverage: Live on Radio Ulster, text & audio commentary on BBC Sport website & BBC Sport App, highlights on BBC2 NI 19:00 GMT on Friday, 22 March When Northern Ireland open their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign on Thursday at home to Estonia, there will be a familiar face in the visiting dugout.
Like most football-obsessed kids, those playing on the streets of Hargeisa dream of one day representing their country. The problem is their country, officially at least, doesn't exist. Somaliland has everything you expect from a country. Its people have Somaliland passports and pay with Somaliland shillings. The Somaliland flag flies in the Somaliland Parliament.
In November, the Newcastle native was appointed head coach of the China Under 15 Girls' national team. Ross was recruited from Vittsjö GIK - the Swedish women's side where he was head coach - under a drive to return women's football in China to the golden age of past decades.
The Socceroo talks football philosophy, returning from injury and Asian Cup hopes
As captain Jamal Bhuyan drilled a 93rd-minute winner past the Qatar goalkeeper to take Bangladesh to the Asian Games second round for the first time, no one looked more surprised than his manager. "We thought a draw might have been enough (to qualify) and in the end it wouldn't have been," Bangladesh manager Jamie Day tells Tifo.
My mum and dad are from Gondar, a city from the Amhara region of Ethiopia. But I was born in a refugee camp called Amrakuba, in Sudan. Mum and Dad walked to Sudan from Ethiopia to escape the war. In Sudan it was very tough.
Interview with Valencia CF Chairman Anil Murthy for fcbusiness magazine.
Interview with LaLiga Head of International Development Oscar Mayo.
Amid the spending spree since Qatar Sports Investments bought Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, the signing of a 35-year-old Northern Irishman might not have made many headlines but he arrived to huge promises from the club's owners. Jonathan Calderwood arrived in Paris in June 2013, headhunted on the advice of former Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier.
He fled the Zimbabwean army in the dead of night, went to Yemen against his embassy's advice and had an armed escort to training in Bangladesh. But Malta head coach Tom Saintfiet has never had a challenge quite like this.
'No one likes us, no one likes us, we don't care, we don't care.' Supporters of several clubs - from Millwall to Leeds - wear their unpopularity as a badge of honour, but there is perhaps no team for whom the song is more apt than MK Dons.
From armed guards at training and presidents on the pitch, to unbeaten runs in Uzbekistan and leading the European champions - FourFourTwo tracked down the Australians (and a few Kiwis) making their mark overseas, wherever they can.
"I hope it doesn't rain," he says. "If it rains it just won't happen, it's too dangerous." Another rider staying at the same hostel, Bernardo Cruz, from Brazil, smiles: "even if it's dry it's too dangerous." The pair are among 50 international riders competing one of the most unusual and extreme sporting events in the world.
It is only 19km from the picturesque town of San Carlos de Bariloche, strung out along the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and in the foothills of the Andes, and famous for its Swiss-style architecture and ubiquitous chocolate shops. One of the most popular holiday spots in the country, Bariloche is bustling year-round with backpackers and holidaying Argentinians.
THE irony of Sunday May 24th 2009 would not have been lost on Gareth Bale.
Travel and Culture
The pilot announces it without emotion, as if he is reporting the lightest of breezes: "The current temperature is minus 25 degrees." To reach Kittilä Airport, in Finnish Lapland, we have flown almost the entire length of the frosty country.
The "ice palace", an ice rink in Madrid, is the chilling symbol of the Covid-19 crisis in Spain. Housed inside a shopping centre, the rink is usually a place filled with life and the laughter of skaters sliding and gliding on the ice. Today, it is a place of death.
Swapping one sun-drenched city for another, writer Robert Kidd moved from Brisbane to Valencia in 2017. After visiting the city on a whim the previous...
Even as the castle crumbles beneath her, the witch keeps smiling. The fire catches quickly, unleashing 20-foot flames that glow against the night sky. They impatiently engulf the castle, the orange dragon, the confused moon and the winged beast with horns and sharp teeth. Even on her broomstick, the witch can't escape.
The young girl wraps her arms around her mother's neck then coils her legs around the woman's waist. She receives last-minute instructions, words of encouragement, a kiss on the cheek. She tilts her helmeted head back. Eight people standing on top of one another looks pretty high from here.
It is the first time in a long time - and definitely in the past seven weeks - that the morning alarm has brought excitement. Yesterday at 7.30am, I rolled out of bed, got dressed and brushed my teeth. Then I stepped out on to the sunny streets of Valencia, Spain, for the first time in 48 days.
Article for The Australian's Travel magazine on stargazing in Chile.
Article on Canggu, Bali's capital of cool, for Jetstar Airlines August 2017 magazine.
While in Spain breakfast typically means a hair-raising coffee and sugary pastry, brunch is when the day's eating really begins. In Valencia almuerzo is especially sacred - a cherished mid-morning meal that is about more than just satisfying hunger.
In a colourful tale of two cities, the lines are sharply drawn between Brisbane’s crackdown on street art and its contrasting elevation to pride of place in Chile’s cultural capital, Valparaiso.
MY beard is encrusted with flakes of tomato skin. My hair is slick with juice. The sweet scent of tomatoes clings to my nostrils and there is puree in my ears and passata in my shoes. Tomato seeds are buried under my fingernails, knotted in my hair and streaked across my body.
THE cobbled streets of San Cristobal de las Casas are not the most likely setting for a revolution.
Frenetic but alluring, Argentina's capital charms first-time visitors with its stunning architecture, sinuous tango and a clandestine restaurant scene. Robert Kidd covers the top spots. This exclusive suburb of the dead is one of the most spectacular cemeteries in the world.
Valletta is proof that size can be deceiving. From ancient history to Hollywood filming locations, we explore the ways this tiny capital packs a big punch
The endlessly sunny Mediterranean port is the home of paella (rice cooked with seafood), architecture ranging from Moorish to ultra-modern, and lively beaches. 1. Taste fresh produce at Mercado Central A post shared by Rosana Enguix (@rosana.enguix) on Jun 17, 2017 at 1:44am PDT One of the largest covered markets in Europe with almost 300 ...
Business
THE $366,500 Maserati convertible swings into the marina car park where the $5.7 million, 28-metre Princess motor yacht is waiting for me. I check my $14,500 Breitling watch. I'm half an hour late. But if time is money, I've got it to burn.
SLEEPY, simple and sun-drenched, the centre of Mackay does not exactly scream economic powerhouse.
Profile on Graham 'Skroo' Turner for the Queensland Top 150 Rich List.
A COUPLE of grey nomads, two of the few who bother making the day trip to Dunk Island since it was smashed by Cyclone Yasi, notice Peter Bond on the beach.
Beer and Food
More than 500 years ago, the Duke of the German region Bavaria was worried about beer. Duke Wilhelm IV needed to save wheat for making bread and at the same time stop brewers adding dubious ingredients to beer. He issued the Reinheitsgebot, or "German beer purity law," naming barley, hops, and water as the only ingredients permitted for making beer.
The sudden popularity of craft brewing in Brisbane reflects the national trend. In 2018, the Australian beer industry had 420 independent brewers, up from 30 in 2006.
The archipelago of Malta has no permanent lakes, nor any serviceable rivers, making it an unlikely place for a craft brewery. But Samuele D'Imperio set one up a
Article for Beer Advocate magazine on beer in Bariloche, Argentina. This article received an award in the best beer and travel writing category at the 2017 North American Guild of Beer Writers awards.
Rice was first introduced to Spain by the Moors more than 1200 years ago and, ever since, the grains have been ingrained in Spain's culinary identity. Most of us have tried paella - or at least what many think is paella. But the question is: what makes a truly authentic version and what is actually a paella pretender?
Brewer Robert Craig is giving Spain a taste of Australia. Mr Craig, who grew up in Swanbourne, is the sole Australian craft beer brewer in the country better known for tapas and flamenco. His Ophidian Brewing Company is one of a new breed of microbreweries in Spain, which increased in number from just 21 in 2008 to 361 in 2016.
Two types of beer were historically acceptable in Australia-cold and very cold. Given more than one-third of the world's sixth largest country by area is effectively desert, it's unsurprising light and easy lager was most common to quench the nation's thirst.
Houses of worship are not typically renowned for their food, but in Spain, cloistered cookies made by nuns are a divine delicacy. So what are they exactly? Just like their name suggests, they are sweet cookies and cakes made by nuns who are cloistered, meaning they stay within their convent and have little or no interaction with the outside world.
The Spanish have long had a reputation as a boisterous people with a directness that extends into the country's eating culture. Packed pintxos bars, bustling tapas eateries and rowdy rice restaurants - in Spain, food is often served with a side of noise and this is a place where it's perfectly acceptable to march into a bar and shout a polite but clear "Oye!"
Science and Research
Profile on Ronald Richter for New Scientist magazine (UK).
Feature article looking at research on sorghum.
Science read for The Courier-Mail on Saturday
THE unique pain of watching a loved one lose their mind will be felt by nearly one million Australian families by 2050.