Dan jets back from covering England’s World Cup heroics to receive University of Northampton honorary degree

BBC sports editor, Dan Roan, has jetted back from the World Cup in Russia to accept an honorary degree from the University of Northampton.

Fresh from covering England’s exploits in the tournament, Dan will attend the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology graduation ceremony at the Royal & Derngate on Wednesday 25 July.

As the BBC’s sports editor, Dan has covered the biggest sporting events and news stories on TV, radio and online.

In recent years he has led BBC News coverage from football World Cups and European Championships, the London and Rio Olympics, rugby’s Lions tour, the Ashes cricket series and athletics’ World Championships, among many others.

Dan has also interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, securing exclusives with Sir Bradley Wiggins, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Usain Bolt, Bernie Ecclestone, Chris Froome and Anthony Joshua.

Born in Northampton, his first jobs in journalism were as an assistant to his father – a photographer – and for a local press agency, when he would regularly report on a wide range of stories, from court cases to the town’s balloon festival.

After university, Dan joined the BBC’s News Trainee scheme in 1998 working first as a politics and regional news reporter for BBC North, then as a business and finance reporter on Breakfast News, Working Lunch and News 24. He left the BBC to join Sky Sports News in 2003, becoming chief news reporter in 2007, before rejoining the BBC as a sports correspondent in 2010, promoted to sports editor in 2014.

Dan has worked with journalism students at the University of Northampton, sharing his knowledge and passion for broadcasting and sport. He continues to be involved in local sport, writing a regular column for the matchday programme for Northampton Town Football Club

Marc Webber, leader of the Multimedia Sports Journalism course at the University, said: “Dan has led from the front in sports journalism with his incisive coverage of global sport on many platforms over a number of years. It is great to see this Northamptonian honoured by the University for his work.

“He has made a significant contribution to the way we consume stories about sport and has opened a window on issues off-the-pitch to a wider TV audience. His storytelling skills know no bounds.

“Whether it be interviewing high-profile guests on complicated corruption in sport through to sharing the joy of England’s World Cup journey this year, Dan has always been able to engage audiences.

“I know my students learn from his current work and aspire to reach his standards. And I know the people of Northampton will be proud that one of their own is ‘coming home’ to be honoured in a town that bleeds sporting passion and ability.”