I feel very fortunate. It was always my dream to write about Liverpool Football Club. I grew up idolising that great team of the late 1980s, I did my degree in the city so I could be close to Anfield and it’s been home for the past 14 years.

After working my way up the ranks at the Liverpool Echo, I was incredibly proud to be appointed as the newspaper’s Liverpool FC correspondent back in 2011. Over the past decade I’ve travelled the world covering the team. From Chicago to Jakarta, Sydney to Dublin, my eyes have been opened to the sheer size of a unique sporting institution and what it means to millions of supporters across the globe.

It’s been a remarkable journey – from the depths of despair after the ruinous reign of former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, to the ecstasy of being crowned champions of Europe for the sixth time on that spine-tingling night in Madrid in June. I’ve been there every step of the way and it’s been an absolute privilege.

These are exhilarating times for Kopites. Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool are no longer the nearly men. Klopp finally has something tangible to show for the eye-catching resurgence he has masterminded and there’s good reason to believe this is the start of a golden era for the club.

The new season brings with it a new challenge for me. I’m delighted to announce I’ll now be reporting on Liverpool for The Athletic. It was a big decision because I was walking away from a job I loved. But the more I learned about The Athletic from co-owner Alex Mather and their bold, exciting plans, the more I was convinced I wanted to be a part of it. They have assembled a stellar cast and I’ll be working alongside many of the greatest and highly-respected football writers in UK journalism.

What really struck a chord with me is that The Athletic is the antithesis of the clickbait culture. No adverts, no annoying pop-ups cluttering the screen, no auto-play videos driving readers crazy, no chasing cheap hits. This is about quality rather than quantity and promises a clean reading experience.

Crucially, I’ll be able to dedicate more time to covering in-depth the issues that really matter to supporters. No longer will my working days be defined by the demands of print deadlines and filling up to half a dozen daily slots on a website.

This role will challenge me as a writer in a different way. Given greater freedom to operate, I believe I’ll be able to make better use of the extensive network of contacts I’ve established from the board room to the dressing room.

For a start, I’ll be able to actually watch games to a conclusion rather than having my head buried in a laptop and my time in mixed zones won’t be curtailed by the need to dash away to file copy. As well as exclusive interviews and breaking news, I can also guarantee that subscribers will get informed analysis and detailed features on all elements of the club.

Social media has enabled me to build up a close rapport with thousands of Reds from all corners of the world over the past decade, and that won’t be changing. It’s something I’ve always embraced. In fact I’ll be even more accessible with regular Q&As with subscribers. From team selection to transfer rumours, I’m committed to ensuring you know exactly what’s going on behind the scenes at Anfield. Podcasts will continue to be a key part of my offering.

Having a reputation as a reliable source of information regarding Liverpool FC means a lot to me. I’ll be working tirelessly to protect and enhance that. Being first with the news in this profession is always the target but being right is even more important. Being able to trust what you read is crucial.

A new chapter has opened for me in terms of covering Liverpool FC and I can’t wait to get started. I really hope you come along for the ride.

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