Greg O'Keeffe

Senior writer for @TheAthleticFC / Co-host @ATNCAST

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Harry Kane is the best English player of his generation — his country’s all-time leading scorer, joint-most capped player, and winner of the World Cup Golden Boot.

He is Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time leading scorer, has scored the second-most goals in Premier League history, and is the fastest ever player to reach 100 Bundesliga goals.

This is how a child from Chingford, released by Arsenal as a child, became the world's best player — the winner of the Ballon d'Or.

Today @jwhitey98 cycled from where Kane grew up to the awards venue at the London Palladium, stopping at parks, schools, clubs and places that helped shape the Bayern Munich forward.

🔗 https://t.co/GNChFL3eJG

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

@liamstarkey84 @MontirexUK This is brilliant 👏

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

On October 26, 2024, the death of Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Holden Trent was announced. He was just 25 years old.

Two years on, his fiancée, family, friends and teammates are ready to talk; to remember a man who "went through a battle every single day to be the person he was".

For more than two decades, Holden Trent defied debilitating medical conditions to reach professional status in the world's most competitive sport.

This is his story.

📝 @AdamCrafton_

🔗 https://t.co/ybIuuj0Qa4

[Seb Stafford-Bloor @SebSB]

Fake football quotes are an increasing menace on social media.

Why do they work and where do they come from?

Free to read, @TheAthleticFC

https://t.co/i5A9ClgBYh

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

@LiamTharmeCoach @ffm_marathon That’s superb 👏���

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

@danohagan I think he’s a very good broadcaster who adds value to anything he’s hosting

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

@bbcmerseysport @GiuliaBould Very sad news. Steve was a lovely bloke and a great professional who was always kind, knowledgeable and friendly

[The Athletic @TheAthletic]

“I just love triathlon. Through injuries, through life, through deaths, through all the things you experience, it’s been kind of like my rock.”

This is how it feels to complete the world’s toughest race… as a senior citizen.

📝 @GregOK

🔗 https://t.co/HDS6RwcJKk

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

One is almost 80, the other a gran of 6. Each has had both knees replaced. Last month they completed one of sport’s most formidable races @IRONMANtri in Kona 🌋

Found out how they defy age to keep pushing themselves 🏊🏼🚴‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️#Ironman
https://t.co/rGXF1VWIIN

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Who should win the men’s Ballon d’Or?

That's the question our reporters asked 100 people in football — players and managers, past and present, coaches, sporting directors, scouts, presidents and other executives from around the world.

There were some slightly eyebrow-raising selections.

A current Bundesliga sporting director voted for Declan Rice in second place.

A former international player and manager picked Marc Cucurella in third.

A former Premier League coach chose Marquinhos in third place.

The winner? Harry Kane. By some margin.

📝 @NickMiller79, @Conor0Neill_

Free to read 🆓 https://t.co/7MCZmWlPNU

[Donald McRae @donaldgmcrae]

I went to Derry to interview James McClean. We spoke about how his refusal to wear the poppy changed his life, his troubled years in England, his mistakes & 103 caps, an eating disorder, his suspicion of doping in the Premier League & his love of boxing
https://t.co/IBWmsrd7sw

[Matt Slater @mjshrimper]

Aug 2023, 777 boss Josh Wander: “Is there anyone that’s been more serious about buying football clubs in history than Josh Wander?”

Oct 2026: Wander pleads guilty to fraud, forfeits $500m, awaits sentencing.

Will make a good documentary one day!

https://t.co/SCtgu0Ygns

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

It’s a week since Taylor Knibb became @IRONMANtri champion 🥇in an extraordinary reversal of her harrowing collapse last year

We spoke about how special gels &super suits helped but sea sickness &vomiting didn’t - and how trusting her body was key💪🏼🏃🏼‍♀️🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️
https://t.co/fVwmd8fulN

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

Well worth a read this from @mwalker2771 about one of the game’s great sides☘️🟢

https://t.co/HUg8ZX4Znw

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

"There is a fantastic opportunity at Everton, I'd be pretty excited."

Despite "uncertainty" with The Friedkin Group, @David_Ornstein explains why it should be optimism over anxiety at Everton

🎙️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗖 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁

[The Athletic @TheAthletic]

Mike Tyson has, in his own words, “lived a dark life”.

At 60, he says he has mellowed — but his past troubles are never far from the surface.

In a candid interview, he discusses the “violence” in his life, smoking toad venom — and becoming more conservative with age.

📝 @SarahShepSport

🔗 https://t.co/YDDPLtZpc0

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

Sport can be very cruel sometimes

A dramatic late twist in Kona

#Ironman #SolveigLøvseth

https://t.co/RROJL0GHa7

[Greg O'Keeffe @GregOK]

Leading and on course to defend her title, Solveig Løvseth stopped 1km from the finish line

The island took its toll. She fell down, tried to crawl, stumble & somehow run again but American Taylor Knibb caught up to win

Luckily, Løvseth has the mentality to recover #ironman

[The Athletic @TheAthletic]

The Ironman World Championship is sport’s most brutal race.

It features a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26-mile run - all in searing Hawaii heat.

Last year, Solveig Lovseth won it.

These are the secrets to being the world’s fittest woman, featuring three-hour sleeps, post-race burgers and being her own ‘cheerleader’.

📝 @GregOK

🔗 https://t.co/Jxaz7hlPeF

[Andrew Woodroffe @andrewwoodroffe]

Imagine you are leading the @IRONMANtri World Champs after taking the win last year and you completely shut down 1km from the finish line..

Utterly insane from Lovseth AND somehow she still managed to finish the race.

Ironman triathlon is BRUTAL.

#IMWC #kona #running

[The New York Times @nytimes]

From @TheAthletic: Solveig Lovseth won one of the world’s most extreme sporting events last year: the Ironman World Championships. And the 27-year-old Norwegian is ready to win the gruelling race for a second time on Saturday. https://t.co/2sHBDVV8SY