UEL alumnus scores goals, TV job

Professional footballer, University of East London alumnus, and presenter on BBC 1’s ‘Football Focus’, Liam MacDevitt has already enjoyed a wide and successful career, which has also included playing football in New Zealand.

Liam MacDevitt has already enjoyed a varied and successful career. From playing professional football as far away as New Zealand to presenting on BBC 1’s ‘Football Focus’. It’s safe to say he’s not afraid of leaving his comfort zone.

Football is a common thread throughout Liam’s life to date, and he says:

Football was always my first love. Although I played county Rugby Union and performed at a good level in athletics it was always football for me."

Aged four, Liam played in his first team and progressed through to the professional ranks with Yeovil Town, Bristol City and in non-league with his current club, AFC Bury. It was during his spell at Stoke City that he trained with his childhood hero, Michael Owen, a star of his beloved Liverpool.

"We trained together, and I was still very young, so I’m not sure I could really take it in that I was actually training with Michael. I interviewed him for Football Focus a few months ago, and he was excellent."

It was during Liam’s football career that he decided to go to the University of East London, where he balanced a football scholarship while studying for a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism.

"I’d visited UEL before and I loved it. The Docklands campus was near the water, and it had a nice atmosphere. I came back to a sports fair and met Yassin Abidou (a football coach at UEL and now an Events Officer at East London Sport) and an ex-student called Dylan, and I decided to join."

Liam describes the sports journalism course as “amazing”, and while he delivered his written work, his first love was always the camera and video side of sports journalism.

"The flexibility of the course was amazing, and it has provided me with a really good base for my career. The football scholarship was also excellent, and it helped give me some structure as I was training 2-3 times a week, and the UEL football teams were winning cups and leagues."

After UEL, Liam broadened his horizons even further and played football professionally in New Zealand for Southern United and then for Tasman United. While there, he worked at Southern United and helped them with their video and social content.

"I loved it there and it helped me again with my experience on the video journalism side of things for when I applied for a 12-month internship at the BBC."

Initially unsuccessful with his application, Liam changed his covering letter and contacted the recruiter and was accepted into the internship programme.

It was clearly a very competitive environment, but one within which Liam blossomed, and his preparation ahead of any interview for the Football Focus show is always very thorough.

"I usually arrive an hour or two before the interview to make sure that I read through my notes and that I’m ready to go.

"Some players are early, some are late, and you have to be prepared for any outcome. Being a professional footballer has helped me with the interviews as there is some empathy there, and I treat the players as if I’m chatting to my friend."