Award-winning sports journalist Simon Barnes is joining ESPN as a multi-sport columnist and writer.

The former chief sports writer at The Times and 2001 and 2007 UK Sports Columnist of the Year will write interviews, features, analysis, opinion and more.  Barnes will write about a wide variety of sports including football, cricket, rugby, golf and more for ESPN.co.uk, as well as ESPN FC and ESPNcricinfo.

“Simon is one of those must-read writers and we are thrilled to be able to recruit him,” said Steve Busfield, managing editor of ESPN.co.uk and ESPNFC. “I’m looking forward to his UK audience having a new place to engage with his outstanding work, and a much wider international audience learning to love his writing.”

Of joining ESPN, Barnes said: “You can watch sport through the narrow window of patriotism but you miss the half the sport and all the point. I’m delighted to have the chance to write on a global platform about sport that belongs to the world.”

Sambit Bal, editor-in-chief of ESPNcricinfo, added: “Few writers capture the soul of sports, and sportspersons, as beautifully and evocatively as Simon does. Reading him is a reminder of why we love sports in the first place. I have enjoyed his writing for years and having him in our stable is an even bigger delight.”

Barnes will also contribute to The Cricket Monthly, the digital magazine from the editorial staff of ESPNcricinfo. His first essay can be read here.

Simon Barnes has covered seven summer Olympic Games, five football World Cups and nearly every other kind of sporting event. He was chief sportswriter The Times of London for 12 years and has collected multiple journalistic awards.  He has written more than 20 books including The Meaning of Sport and three novels.