Quickfire Questions with Hayley McQueen

Sky Sports News presenter Hayley McQueen has been answering quickfire questions on a visit to UCFB Manchester.

Hayley, with more than two decades of elite sports broadcasting experience, offered UCFB students studying one of our sports media-related degree courses advice and guidance on securing a role in the industry.

During her visit to Old Trafford for our media conference, Hayley answered some questions about her career, the sports media industry and top tips for students attempting to forge a career within the field.

When asked what the best thing was about working within football, Hayley said: “Experiencing the highs.

“I’m not a Leicester City fan, but Leicester City winning the Premier League, and the story, and how that bubbled, and got bigger and bigger and bigger, and then just exploded at the end of the season with them winning the league. It’s so exciting, you can feel that buzz in the newsroom as well.

She added: “I worked on the 2012 Olympics in London, as well. That was incredible, based out at Stratford. And just being a part of the buzz, being a part of history. Alright, you might not be out there with them or part of the team, but if you’re working in a team behind a team, you’re still part of that story.

“I was stood in the square in Manchester reporting on Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, and they had the big goodbye for him. I was at the centre of that, and I felt very much on the outside of it, just reporting on it, but when I look back, I think Wow, I reported on this incredible moment of history, and it’s about enjoying those moments.”

Hayley also offered some advice to UCFB students wanting to score their career goals within the football and wider sports industry, speaking about her experience in other industries.

“I don’t think it does any harm to stray away from sports,” she said. “I have friends who have worked in news and entertainment and then come back to sports.

“Also, if you’re studying sports, don’t narrow it down to one sport. Working in any other industry, as long as you’re watching sport, you’re continuing that journey.”

View a UCFB prospectus to learn more about student life, our unique courses and everything there is to know about kicking off your career in the sports industry.