Matt Oldfield - Interview (April 2026)
Q: What was your best school visit, and why?
Oof what a first question! Honestly, there are too many great visits to choose from, but I guess what they all have in common is that they’ve been really well-organised and promoted by enthusiastic school staff.
Q: When engaging with students during school visits, what was the funniest question asked?
I often get asked about which footballer I would most like to meet, but I remember once being asked a more specific version: which footballer would I most like to sit down and have cake with!
Q: You’ve written about so many legendary footballers – which footballer’s life, or personality, surprised you the most?
I’ll go for former Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić. I’m a huge fan of him as a footballer, but until I started researching his life story for the book, I had no idea about his traumatic childhood in war-torn Yugoslavia. Learning about his early life story really made me admire what he’s achieved even more.
Q: Where did you grow-up, and did the area impact what you write - either positively or negatively?
I grew up in Southampton, going to watch my local club play in the Premier League, so that definitely did inspire my passion for football. Even if we usually lost!
Q: You’ve written about footballers from Maradona to Mbappé. If you could meet any player from the past, who would it be?
Ha there you go – that question again! I’ll go for Maradona – I have a feeling he would be pretty entertaining…
Q: You’re based in Bristol but travel widely for school visits. What’s the best thing about Bristol?
Can I pick 3? I’ll go for the balloons, the street art, and the real sense of community and support for independent businesses. Oh wait, that’s kind of four really, isn’t it?
Q: Apart from reading and writing, what hobbies do you have?
I love playing football, running, and going to watch live music.
Q: You’ve written both fiction and nonfiction. Which is harder for you, and why?
I definitely find fiction harder to write – partly because I have less experience of doing it, and partly because the endless possibilities can be quite overwhelming at times, especially for someone used to dealing in facts. I really love the challenge, though.
Q: What is a book that you think every child should read at least once in their life?
I don’t really like prescribing books for all, but my two favourite books from my childhood would be Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Not a single football in sight!
Q: You’ve inspired many young readers to pick up a book. What inspired you to read when you were younger?
It was my parents who first inspired me to get into reading, but after that, it was a combination of lots of different people, including teachers, librarians, and my favourite authors of course.
Q: What are you working on currently, and can you give us a tiny hint about what readers can expect next?
I’m currently writing the second book in my Football Spy fiction series, which is called Lethal Strike. What to expect? Goals, gadgets and lots of exciting action, both on and off the football pitch!