Melissa Reddy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melissa Reddy
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Melissa Reddy in 2022
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| Born | 24 August 1986 South Africa |
| Occupation | Sports journalist |
| Notable works | Believe Us: How Jürgen Klopp Transformed Liverpool Into Title Winners |
Melissa Reddy, born on August 24, 1986, is a talented football journalist and author from South Africa. She is well-known for her work covering football, especially the Premier League in England. From 2022 to 2025, she worked as a senior reporter for Sky Sports and Sky Sports News.
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Melissa Reddy's Career Journey
Melissa Reddy started her career in journalism while she was still at university. She completed an internship at Summit TV, a business news channel in South Africa. This early experience helped her learn about the media world.
Early Steps in Sports Journalism
In 2007, Melissa moved to Cape Town and joined TEAMtalk Media. She worked on many different sports topics. By 2011, her hard work paid off, and she became the Head of Football for the company. This was a big achievement, as she was the first woman to hold this important position.
After that, she became the Deputy Editor of Kick Off magazine. This magazine is the largest sports publication in Africa. Again, Melissa was the first woman to take on this role. She also made history by being the first woman to appear as a football expert on popular TV shows like Backpages and Monday Night Football on SuperSport.
Reporting for Top Sports Outlets
Melissa continued to grow in her career. In November 2015, she became the Liverpool correspondent for Goal, a major football website with many international editions. This meant she reported specifically on the Liverpool football club.
Later, Melissa worked as a football correspondent for ESPN, another huge sports network. She also wrote articles for The Athletic and became the senior football correspondent at Joe. In November 2019, she joined The Independent as their senior football correspondent.
Television and Radio Appearances
Melissa Reddy is also a familiar face on television. She has appeared on Sky Sports News' special program Tackling Racism and on Sunday Supplement. She has also been a guest on Red Men TV and the BBC’s Premier League Show. Her voice can also be heard on BBC Radio 5 Live, where she has been a guest.
Podcasts and Books
Melissa has been very active in the world of podcasts. She has written for, been a guest on, and even hosted shows for The Anfield Wrap. She has also presented shows on The Football Ramble and appeared on Second Captains and BT Sport’s Football Writers Podcast.
In 2020, Melissa started her own podcast interview series called Between The Lines with Melissa Reddy. She has interviewed many famous football figures, including Gary Lineker, Mauricio Pochettino, and Daniel Sturridge.
Also in 2020, Melissa released her first book. It is titled Believe Us: How Jürgen Klopp Transformed Liverpool Into Title Winners. The book talks about how Jürgen Klopp helped the Liverpool team become champions. Even England national rugby union team head coach Eddie Jones mentioned her book as a great way to understand how top teams think and train.
Advocacy and Recognition
Melissa Reddy has bravely spoken out about the challenges she has faced in her career. She talks about the difficulties women can experience in sports journalism and how she has worked to overcome them. Her efforts to highlight these issues are important for making the field more welcoming for everyone.
In 2021, Melissa was recognized for her excellent writing. She was shortlisted in the Best Writer category at the Football Supporters' Association awards. This shows how much her work is valued by football fans.
