Oliver Holt is appointed as the Mail’s first ever seven-day Chief Sports Writer

Oliver Holt has been appointed the Mail’s first ever seven-day Chief Sports Writer.

He starts his new role today and will be first with the big reactions to all sports stories across MailOnline, Mail+ and the Mail print titles.

The multi award-winning sportswriter – who has twice won the SJA’s Sports Columnist of the Year award – spent eight years at The Mail on Sunday writing with authority on the whole spectrum of sport and has become essential reading for sports fans of all ages.

As well as reporting from global sports events, Oliver’s weekly column will be published first across the Mail’s digital assets on Monday evening and then every Tuesday in the Daily Mail. You can read his first column TONIGHT at 6pm on MailOnline.

He will also continue to write on big sports events in the Mail on Sunday.

Oliver Holt is pictured after an interview with Liverpool’s star centre back Virgil van Dijk

Ted Verity, Editor, Mail Newspapers, said: ‘Oliver is the undisputed king of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, influential print and online sports commentators. A tenacious journalist with a deep understanding of what our Sportsmail readers want – which will now be available across all our multi-platform Mail brands.’

Lee Clayton, who rejoined the Mail as Global Publisher of Sport last month, also welcomed the appointment, adding: ‘Oliver has immense love and joy in writing about sport. 

‘This unique role, across all Mail titles and digital assets, gives him a golden ticket to the greatest sporting events, including The Ashes, world heavyweight title fights, Wimbledon finals, the Premier League and every major football tournament, the golfing Majors, The Olympic Games and the occasional Stockport home game. It’s the best job in sport.

‘I have always devoured Oliver’s writing and it gives me great personal pleasure that he becomes our first major appointment since I took up my new role. I am also delighted that the super talented Riath Al-Samarrai will write a weekly column in the Mail on Sunday.’

Oliver started his journalistic career at the Liverpool Echo, and after three years moved to The Times. He was appointed Chief Football Writer in 1996. He joined the Daily Mirror in 2002 as the Chief Sports Writer and left the paper in February 2015 to join The Mail on Sunday.

He is the author of multiple books including Kieron Dyer’s memoir, Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late, Miracle at Medinah: Europe’s Amazing Ryder Cup Comeback and End of the Rainbow: England’s Quest for Glory in South Africa in the 2010 World Cup.

A Stockport County season ticket holder, he is married with three children.