James Westwood - author - image

James Westwood

Assistant Editor

Bio: I have been an assistant editor, features writer, and live match reporter for GOAL since 2022, primarily covering my beloved Man Utd and the rest of the traditional 'big six' Premier League clubs. As a failed Cambridge trialist turned journalist, I aim to provide football fans with informative, unbiased, and thought-provoking content that sparks a wider debate, incorporating extensive research into the evolution of the modern game. Have developed a reputation for outlandish opinions, but the truth is, like Rafa Benitez, I deal only in "facts".

My Football Story: I didn't properly fall in love with football until I was eight, when my dad took me to see Luton vs York. The smell of pies and cigarette smoke outside Kenilworth Road was strangely intoxicating, and the deafening sound of the fans cheering at kick-off gave me the biggest adrenaline rush of my young life. The match itself was short on quality, with Luton grinding out a 2-1 win, but once I'd had my first taste of the 'beautiful game', there was no going back (though I stuck to supporting Man Utd instead of my local team, which has come back to haunt me).

Areas of Expertise: 

• All things Man Utd

• Premier League and Champions League coverage

• Player analysis & transfer insights

• Tactical breakdowns

Favourite Footballing Memory: 'On a free from PSG, he cost us f*cking zero!' - Endlessly repeating Zlatan Ibrahimovic's terrace chant while watching the 'Swedish hero' fire United to the Carabao Cup trophy at Wembley in 2017.

My All-Time XI: 4-4-2, diamond midfield - Peter Schmeichel; Dani Alves, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand, Paolo Maldini; Roy Keane, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney; Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo Nazario

Articles by James Westwood
  1. Brazil attack GFXGetty/GOAL
    AnalysisBrazil

    How Carlo can get the best from Brazil's star-studded attack

    Brazil endured their worst qualification campaign ever for the 2026 World Cup, finishing fifth in the CONMEBOL standings on just 28 points from 18 matches. The Selecao lost home and away to arch-rivals Argentina, with a 4-1 drubbing at the Estadio Monumental ultimately costing Dorival Junior his job as manager, and they were also handily beaten by Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay and Bolivia. But hope for the 2026 finals remains high, with Carlo Ancelotti now holding the reins for the most successful national team in history.

  2. Jack Grealish England Thomas Tuchel GFX 16:9Getty/GOAL
    OpinionJ. Grealish

    Tuchel's bizarre Grealish snub could hurt England's World Cup bid

    Jack Grealish's omission from Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad was not just a surprise, but also completely ridiculous. Only a handful of Premier League players have made better starts to the season than Grealish, who has quickly rediscovered the form that once saw him touted as one of the brightest talents of his generation, since joining Everton on loan from Manchester City in the summer transfer window.

  3. Benjamin Sekso Ruben Amorim Man Utd GFXGOAL
    OpinionB. Sesko

    Lay off Sesko! Amroim to blame for Man Utd striker's struggles

    "He has great potential. He's really smart, a guy who's always thinking," Ruben Amorim said after Benjamin Sesko's £74 million ($101m) switch to Manchester United from RB Leipzig at the start of August. "He can play a different type of football. He is going to feel that the Premier League is aggressive. He is going to learn. But Ben can be a striker for United for a lot of years; that's why we paid so much money to have a striker who will have his history in our club."

  6. TOPSHOT-FBL-ENG-PR-NEWCASTLE-ARSENALAFP
    ArsenalNewcastle United

    Lineker & Richards slam 'unworkable' VAR after Arsenal penalty call

    Pundits Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have once again criticised the use of VAR after a controversial penalty decision in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Newcastle on Sunday. Referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed for a spot-kick after Viktor Gyokeres went down under a challenge from Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, but after a lengthy delay for a VAR check, he reversed his decision, which has sparked debate about the consistency and effectiveness of the system.

  10. Lamine Yamal Ballon d'Or GFXGetty/GOAL
    Ballon d'OrAnalysis

    Why world's best Yamal deserves the 2025 Ballon d'Or

    If the voting process for the Ballon d'Or were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Golden Balls to his name instead of eight. The Barcelona legend was by far the best footballer in the world between 2008 and 2021, but had to concede defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo five times, and Luka Modric once, as the Real Madrid duo were rewarded for spearheading their team's unprecedented success in the Champions League.

  4. Brits Abroad W+Ls.jpgGetty/GOAL
    Winners & LosersH. Kane

    Brits Abroad: Kane is going for the 2026 Ballon d'Or!

    GOAL runs through the best and worst of British players plying their trade on foreign soil. Now more than ever, British players are finding that the grass can be greener elsewhere. The lure of the Premier League remains grand, but it's not the be-all and end-all. In fact, some of the home nations' biggest stars have decided to take their talents abroad to the mainland continent and beyond.

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