Melissa Reddy

Melissa Reddy is a South African soccer journalist and author based in Britain. She began working in soccer journalism in 2007, became head of soccer for TEAMtalk in South Africa, and served as deputy editor of KICK OFF. After moving to Britain in 2014, she contributed interviews and features to outlets including CNN, The Independent, and Sports Illustrated, developing a career across print, digital publishing, television, and radio.

Reddy became Liverpool correspondent for Goal before taking a senior soccer-writing role at JOE. She later worked as senior soccer correspondent at The Independent and joined Sky Sports as a senior reporter in March 2022. Her books draw on that reporting background: Believe Us examines Liverpool’s transformation under Jürgen Klopp, while Only Mo Salah follows the Egyptian forward’s development and the wider meaning of his success.

Alongside written reporting, Reddy has contributed to BBC Radio 5 Live, Premier League Productions, and soccer discussion programs and podcasts. Her broadcasting includes appearances on The Anfield Wrap and The Totally Football Show. Long interviews with players and managers form a recurring part of her work; her published conversations have included Klopp, Steven Gerrard, Julian Nagelsmann, and Eddie Howe. This combination of regular club coverage and extended interviews also informs the books, which use testimony from people working around Liverpool as well as its most visible figures.

Reddy has described an interest in sports presentation that began with imaginary shows in her grandparents’ home. In discussing her career, she has also recalled the obstacles faced by a young South African woman entering a predominantly male reporting environment. Her later move into television followed years of establishing herself through written journalism.

Soccer Books

Believe Us: How Jürgen Klopp Transformed Liverpool into Title Winners: Reddy examines Jürgen Klopp’s rebuilding of Liverpool, culminating in the club’s first league championship for thirty years. Interviews with players, staff, and the club’s leadership explain the work behind the 2020 title. The account connects changes in the team and organization with the preceding European triumph, following the creation of a side capable of competing successfully across several major competitions.

The book includes perspectives from captain Jordan Henderson, Klopp, supporters, and members of the backroom staff. Liverpool’s league success followed victories in the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup, giving Reddy a sequence of achievements through which to examine the team’s development. The reporting moves beyond match outcomes to describe how different parts of the club contributed to the change in expectations and performance under Klopp.

Only Mo Salah: An Intimate Portrait of Liverpool's Egyptian King: Reddy traces Mohamed Salah’s progress from Nagrig in Egypt to international prominence and success at Liverpool. Interviews with coaches, teammates, friends, and people from his home community examine the decisions and sacrifices behind that rise. The biography follows his moves through Egyptian and European soccer while considering his influence beyond results, including the expectations attached to his status as an Egyptian sporting figure. Published in 2026.

The biography follows Salah from Al-Mokawloon to Basel, then through an unsuccessful period at Chelsea and renewed opportunities at Fiorentina and Roma. Those experiences precede his extraordinary scoring record on Merseyside. Reddy also considers setbacks and misjudgments, alongside the responsibility of representing Egypt’s national team. The range of interviewees, including sporting directors and support staff, places his public image beside accounts of his working habits and private character.