If you're truly football-mad, you'll know that your attention doesn't stop at the full-time whistle – you're constantly absorbing as much as you can about your club, whether it's during the peak hours of the transfer window or just a way to whittle away the hours until the next fixture.
Listening to podcasts is a great way to fill the void of those days when football isn't on TV, appealing to audiophiles and football fans alike.
Podcasts are there to be enjoyed while you're out driving or going for a jog, an entertaining serial radio show where your favourite personalities discuss the sport you know and love.
Goal takes a look at some of the best football podcasts to listen to.
- UK Fantasy Football Show
- Men in Blazers Podcast
- ESPN FC Podcast
- The Anfield Wrap Podcast
- Football Weekly Podcast
- The Blizzard Podcast
- The Gary Neville Podcast
- Football Daily Podcast
- The Spanish Football Podcast
UK Fantasy Football Show
There are two types of fantasy football players:
- The serious, passionate, tinker-each-week, winner.
- The one who starts out with good intentions, forgets and falls off the wagon.
The UK Fantasy Football Show is for both of those intrepid virtual managers and more besides. Join Miles, Sam and Dave on their journey as they navigate the pitfalls of fantasy football while attempting to scale the heights of elation when a triple captain gambit pays off.
Whether you're looking for the best players to pick, tips on how to get the best out of Sergio Aguero or simply reassurance that you're not the worst FPL manager out there, UKFFS is just the show for you.
The UK Fantasy Football Show is available to listen to on Apple, Spotify and more - just check your podcast app and tune in.
Men In Blazers Podcast
The Men In Blazers podcast is a collaboration between British-American punditry duo Roger Bennett and Michael Davies that exists concurrently as a website, weekly podcast and television show on NBCSN covering the Premier League and international football.
They were joined by Last Week Tonight host John Oliver (and noted Liverpool fan) John Oliver on their final podcast of 2018, where they rounded up the year in sport and forced Bennett, a long-time Evertonian, to relive the Origi Derby.
Men In Blazers
ESPN FC Podcast
The ESPN FC podcast has a frequent and consistent release schedule and takes deep delves into English, European and world football with the ESPN FC crew.
The likes of James Horncastle, Paolo Bandini and Mina Rzouki have all contributed to recent podcast episodes alongside Gab Marcotti, Sid Lowe and Ian Darke.
Subjects such as Cristiano Ronaldo's impact in Serie A, whether or not Gonzalo Higuain should feel pressure from the media to perform and Paul Pogba's form have all been hot topics of discussion during recently released episodes.
The Anfield Wrap Podcast
Sure, you may not want to be near The Anfield Wrap if you were anything but a Liverpool fan, but why not to listen to one of the most popular football podcasts in the UK as the Reds attempt to mount another title surge?
Episodes are released every week and feature the voices and insight of the likes of Neil Atkinson, Gareth Roberts and John Gibbons.
TAW, which takes deep dives into anything and everything Liverpool Football Club, has been one of the most successful one-club shows in the UK and has previously featured Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and ex-player Kevin Keegan.
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Football Weekly Podcast
The Football Weekly podcast, hosted by the Guardian, brings football fans semi-weekly (despite its name) doses of news in sport alongside puns, analysis and observations from the Premier League and beyond.
Despite being an English podcast production, the show covers European football at large, with its main emphasis placed on the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga.
Presented by Max Rushden after former host James Richardson left in 2017, Football Weekly features the thoughts and insights of various Guardian sports journalists including Barney Ronay, Owen Gibson and Sid Lowe.
The Blizzard Podcast
The Blizzard is a popular quarterly print football publication that is curated by a cooperative team of journalists and authors, and the Blizzard podcast is a great extension of the magazine.
The podcasts feature some of the standout articles from the magazine's back catalogue, as well as recordings of life Q&A events held with writers and journalists in and around the UK.
Episodes are released semi-frequently, though are free and available to stream straightaway on Soundcloud, with their final podcast of 2018 a live recording of their panel in Dublin hosted by Andrew Mangan and featuring Jonathan Wilson, Philippe Auclair and Miguel Delaney discussing everything from the Premier League's title race, the worst tackles English football has ever witnessed and the future of Mourinho.
The Gary Neville Podcast
Nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville, but perhaps they'd want to grow up to be as good a football analyst and commentator...?
On the Gary Neville Podcast, fans can listen to the ex-Man United defender's thoughts about all the happenings and goings-on in Europe's top leagues after he punches out from duty with Monday Night Football alongside Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports.
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Football Daily Podcast
The BBC Radio 5 live team's flagship podcast the Football Daily brings the latest football analysis and news by guests such as Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates.
Topics such as whether or not deep-rooted racism in football exists or not (it does), Tottenham's lack of a superstar, 'Poch Watch' and the songs and records that shaped Pep Guardiola into the manager he is today are recent subjects of discussion.
It is one of the most-listened-to podcasts – and one of the most frequently updated – for any and every football fan.
The Spanish Football Podcast
Led by the Guardian's Spanish football correspondent Sid Lowe and Spanish football commentator and presenter Phil Kitromilides, the Spanish Football Podcast takes in-depth looks about anything and everything that happens across the football sphere in sunny Spain.
The duo discusses such subjects as the players who impressed them the most (cough, one might rhyme with the word 'Jessie'), La Liga favourites and those likely to suffer the drop, as well as a look-ahead to what's next for Spanish football – domestically and in Europe.
