| Employer | BBC London 94.9 (December 2006 – March 2008) Soccer AM (August 2008 – 2015) Talksport BBC Radio 5 Live The Guardian Stan Sport |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 18 April 1979 (age 47) |
| Birth place | Cambridge, England |
| Occupation | TV and radio presenter football journalist podcaster |
| Genre | Sports |
|---|---|
| Subject | Association football |
| Notable works | Football Weekly |
| Years active | 2006–current |
| Website | maxrushden.com |
'Max Paul Rushden (born 18 April 1979) is an English radio and television presenter and the current host of The Guardians Football Weekly podcast.
Career
Rushden's first presenting role was BBC London 94.9's breakfast show from December 2006 to March 2008. He turned down an offer to become a Blue Peter presenter to instead present the Saturday morning Sky Sports show Soccer AM alongside Helen Chamberlain from August 2008 until 2015.[1][2] After leaving Soccer AM, he hosted a weekly Sunday show with Barry Glendenning on Talksport, before adding a Saturday morning show alongside comedian Charlie Baker.[3] He has also occasionally worked for BBC Radio 5 Live. He was a regular substitute presenter for James Richardson on Football Weekly, before becoming its main host in 2017 after Richardson quit to launch rival The Totally Football Show.[4]
Rushden explains that the show "ranges from proper analysis of what has happened on the pitch in the UK and around Europe, to commentary about serious issues off it, balanced with some complete nonsense."[5]
In 2021, Rushden signed with Australian UEFA competitions broadcaster Stan Sport to host their football coverage.[6] In October 2024, Rushden began hosting a new weekly show covering the A-League Men called The A-Leagues Download.[7] He is also a regular panellist on Network 10's The Project as of 2024.[8]
In August 2024, Rushden launched the podcast 'What Did You Do Yesterday?' with Irish comedian and broadcaster David O'Doherty.[9]
Personal life
Rushden and the rest of his family changed their surname from Rubenstein[10][11] when Rushden was six years old, due to antisemitic threats.[12] Rushden is a lifelong fan of Cambridge United.[13][14]
Rushden is currently based in Melbourne, Australia with his wife, author Jaime Bruce, and their two children.[15][16] He plays for the Melbourne University "Bohemians" (over-35s) team, in Football Victoria's Metropolitan League.[17][18]
In January 2023, Rushden's home was broken into. His Subaru car was stolen, and his company credit card was used to spend $84 at a South Melbourne McDonald's.[19] His car was located by the police and returned to him in March 2023.[20]
References
- ^ "Soccer AM still worth waking up to". The Scotsman. 4 October 2008.
- ^ Rushden, Max; Glendenning, Barry; Brewin, John; Bandini, Nicky; Grove, Joel; Stephens, Danielle (2023-03-24). "Harry Kane leads England to first win in Italy since 1961 – Football Weekly podcast". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ "🚨 talkSPORT Live - the Gameday Warm-Up with Max Rushden and Charlie Baker! 🔥". 24 August 2024.
- ^ Rickett, Oscar. "Soccer Is Not 'Art', and That's Fine", Vice Media, 6 July 2018. Retrieved on 15 August 2019.
- ^ Rushden, Max. "Knowledge and nonsense – in the studio with Guardian Football Weekly", The Guardian, 23 September 2017. Retrieved on 14 August 2019.
- ^ Mediaweek (2021-08-10). "Stan reveals Max Rushden and Craig Foster as UEFA commentators". Mediaweek. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ "WATCH: New weekly online show launched to cover A-League" (in en-NZ). Friends of Football. 2024-10-21. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ PodcastingToday (2024-08-30). "Max Rushden and David O'Doherty launch new comedy podcast - PodcastingToday". Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Max Rushden and David O'Doherty launch new comedy podcast". Podcasting Today. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Rushden, Max; Glendenning, Barry; Grove, Joel; Stephens, Danielle; Glendenning, Presented by Max Rushden with Barry; Hutchinson, Seb; Grove, Dan Bardell Produced by Joel; Stephens, our executive producer is Danielle (2025-05-21). "De Bruyne's big City sendoff and a goal of the season contender – Football Weekly". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Findmypast". www.findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ "Meet Max!". Sky Sports. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Rushden, Max (19 October 2023). "Sometimes it's OK for middle-aged sports presenters to say nothing". The Guardian
- ^ Blow, Tom (2023-09-15). "'I hosted Soccer AM - now I go for pints with Neighbours legend Dr Karl Kennedy'". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2026-05-17.
- ^ Rushden, Max (2025-03-27). "The Kings and I: Puma’s classic boots beckon me back from brief Umbro betrayal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-17.
- ^ Rushden, Max (2026-04-24). "Aches and strains seem worse with age but we ambling amateur footballers just can’t let go". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-17.
- ^ "Who would have thought that host of the @guardian_footballweekly and Melbourne University Bohemian's midfielder @maxrushden's best on-pitch attribute would be his communication skills🎙 It was brilliant to talk to Max earlier this year about his experience playing the sport he loves right here in Melbourne.". 18 December 2025.
- ^ Glendenning, Presented by Max Rushden with Barry; Langdon, Mark; Gray, Jonathan Fadugba Produced by Joel Grove with Silas; Stephens, our executive producer is Danielle (2023-01-26). "Manchester United close on Wembley and an FA Cup preview – Football Weekly Extra". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
- ^ Rushden, Max; Glendenning, Barry; Ronay, Barney; Grove, Joel; Stephens, Danielle (2023-03-06). "Crisis, what crisis? Liverpool hit Manchester United for seven – Football Weekly". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-08.