Tom Ritchie Bio

Tom Ritchie

News writer

📝 Bio: I'm a freelance sports journalist and feature writer working in football and American football. After moving to Berlin on a whim four years ago, I have been writing about the culture of the German game for my self-published newsletter and numerous outlets. From covering grassroots games to visiting some of the Bundesliga's biggest stadiums, learning more about German football has reignited my passion for writing about football. My work has been published by GOAL, When Saturday Comes and MUNDIAL. 

My Football Story: It all started at The Valley. My dad took me to see my first game in the last few weeks of the 1997-98 season; a campaign that finished with Charlton beating Sunderland in the best playoff-final of all-time. I was there, and from that moment on, I was hooked. A season ticket holder during the club's glory years, weekly trips to The Valley primed me for years of active football fandom. After finishing university, me and a group of mates spent a month in Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 World Cup. Since moving to Berlin, I've become a member at Union Berlin. Again, I got in at the right time, watching this small community-based club punch well above its weight in the Europa League and Champions League. After a decade of writing about business for trade publications and national newspapers, I decided to follow my life's passion to pursue a career in sports writing. 

🎯 Areas of Expertise: 

  • Feature writing 
  • German football and its associated history/culture
  • Expert football opinion and analysis 
  • News writing

🌟 Favourite Footballing Memory: Standing on the Copacabana Beach with some of my best mates, waiting for England to take on Italy in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup. It felt like we were a part of something truly special. When Raheem Sterling scored that 'ghost goal', the ensuing dog pile of England supporters celebrating was one of the biggest outpourings of joy I have ever been a part of. It took us a solid three minutes to realise the ball actually had not found the back of the Italian net because we were celebrating so much.

Articles by Tom Ritchie
  1. Hemp hammers home for City in derby-day destruction

    WSL leaders Manchester City asserted their dominance with a resounding 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United. The game was ended as a contest in the space of four minutes, when Bunny Shaw slid in for her side's second before Lauren Hemp capped her return from injury with a powerful strike on the stroke of half-time after Rebecca Knaak had initially opened the scoring.

  2. Hampton out for rest of the year? Bompastor confirms Chelsea injury blow

    Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has revealed that Hannah Hampton could miss the rest of 2025 with a quad injury, potentially ruling her out of the Lionesses upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana later this month. The renowned shot stopper missed Chelsea's 6-0 win over St. Polten in the Women's Champions League, after picking up the injury during the Blues 1-1 draw with Arsenal last Saturday.

  3. Neymar transfer ruled out! Club chief issues strong statement

    Fluminense's president has denied rumours linking his club with Neymar. Mario Bittencourt took to his X account to release a strongly worded statement, categorically refuting reports the Tricolor had made an approach for the Santos star. Speculation over a transfer was fuelled by comments made by Fluminense's head of physiotherapy, after he called Neymar, the "last genius of Brazilian football".

  4. 'Working on it' - Laporta confirms Messi statue for Camp Nou

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that Lionel Messi will receive a statue outside the Camp Nou. The stadium is currently under renovation, with the men's team expected to return to the famous stadium after the international break. Once that work is completed, the club's attention will turn to immortalising their iconic star. Laporta said Messi's family will be consulted on the design.

  5. 'He won't last long' - Yamal sent warning by ex-Spain boss

    Former Spain manager Javier Clemente has sent a warning to Lamine Yamal, after the recent controversy surrounding the wonderkid's withdrawal from La Roja's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Clemente added to the furore by questioning the player's personal life, saying he "won't last long" in the game if he "does not behave correctly".

  6. Bellingham benched! Tuchel makes big call for England clash

    Jude Bellingham is expected to start from the bench in England's Word Cup qualifier against Serbia. Thomas Tuchel is set to name a strong starting lineup, with Morgan Rodgers retaining the No.10 position ahead of the Real Madrid star. Bellingham was left out of the German's squad during the October international window, after he missed the opening months of the season following shoulder surgery.

  1. Man Utd alerted to Adeyemi contract situation after Kovac fallout

    Manchester United have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi, amid reports that the winger has fallen out with his current manager Niko Kovac. The 23-year-old's entourage are seeking to negotiate a long-term contract extension with the German club, with Adeyemi's deal set to expire in 2027. However, a stand off is expected, as the player is demanding a release clause.

  2. Watch out, Real Madrid! European giants enter race for Konate

    Bayern Munich are expected to enter the race to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahim Konate. The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid next summer, with the player able to leave Anfield on a free transfer with his contract running down. The Bavarian giants have ignited interest in the player, with his former RB Leipzig teammate Dayot Upamecano also out of contract in the summer.

  3. Ekitike reveals Slot's demands "p*ss" him off at Liverpool

    Hugo Ekitike has revealed the inner workings of his relationship with Liverpool boss Arne Slot, admitting that the Dutchman's high standards have left him "p*ssed off" at times. The 23-year-old made the comments in a sit-down interview ahead of the Reds' marquee clash with Manchester City, where he also shot down suggestions that he and Aleksander Isak cannot play together in the same team.

  4. Ekitike reveals how he tries to copy Messi, Neymar and Mbappe

    Hugo Ekitike has revealed he has modelled elements of his game on his former PSG teammates Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as he looks to forge his own legend after making the switch to Liverpool earlier this year. The Frenchman spent a season on loan in the French capital during Les Parisiens' Galacticos era, before finding his feet in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt.

  5. Ronaldo sends out message after netting landmark goal

    Cristiano Ronaldo sent out a powerful message after scoring yet again in Al-Nassr's 3-1 win over Neom on Saturday. The legendary marksman said he is "working on our dream" in an Instagram post, as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals. He now has 100 goal contributions in just 85 appearances in the Saudi Pro League, a staggering return given he's just four months away from turning 41.

  6. Kane spares Bayern's blushes as 100% record ends at Union Berlin

    Bayern Munich eked out a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin thanks to a late Harry Kane equaliser at the Alte Forsterei. The England captain's goal spared the blushes of Manuel Neuer, who let a tame Danilho Doekhi shot cross the line to open the scoring. A brilliant Luis Diaz effort had the scores level at the half, before Doehki's bundled effort appeared to win the game for Die Eisernen the 83rd minute.

  7. 'Best I've seen in years' - Bayern made 'statement' with PSG win

    Former Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has heaped praise on Bayern Munich, heralding the Bavarian giants' first-half performance in their 2-1 away win over PSG as "some of the best football" he has seen in years. Vincent Kompany's side are in imperious form to start the season, winning a record-breaking 16 straight games to open the 2025/26 season.

  8. Toone & Park stifled as Man Utd's unbeaten run ends

    Manchester United suffered their first defeat of the WSL season, falling 1-0 to a spirited Aston Villa side. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, with Miri Taylor firing in from the edge of the box for her first goal as a professional. The Red Devils were uncharacteristically listless in attack as Mark Skinner's side failed to score for the first time in the 2025-26 season.

  9. 'He's changed' - Flick backs Yamal to get back to 'best' amid injury fears

    Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has backed Lamine Yamal to find his best form despite an ongoing groin problem. The German also looked to diffuse any further disagreement between La Blaugrana and the Spanish national setup, sharing his belief that Luis de la Fuente's coaching staff will "take care" of the 18-year-old superstar when he hooks up with La Roja for their upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.