Last January was my first experience of transfer deadline day in the UK, having worked in Germany for over two years. It was such an exciting day to be involved with and I can't wait for this one.
The one thing that unites football fans is huge interest in transfers - they want to see big names joining their team, they want to know at the earliest opportunity who might be arriving at their club and how much they will cost. We've all done the fantasy team selections of picking the players we think would make our team better - seeing it become a reality is fascinating.
We all remember the dramatic events that saw players signed up in the eleventh hour; Ashley Cole to Chelsea, Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United, and most recently Mesut Ozil to Arsenal. For all the long shots and speculation, the satisfaction for everyone when a major deal goes through makes really compelling viewing.
There has already been so much business in this window with many of the World Cup stars moving clubs and I have a feeling there are still a few big names to follow suit. As I write this blog, we have already exceeded last August's spending spree of £635million, and with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal being urged by fans to buy some new players before the window closes, I don't see why we can't reach the £1billion mark.
I have been with Sky Sports in the UK for eight months now and this is definitely the busiest and most exciting time whilst I've been here.
Last January I really enjoyed seeing how the whole football community got into such a frenzy about the countdown. The couple of years before that I'd been in Germany where the countdown effect doesn't really take place as Germans like to get their business done early. Before that I was at CNN where we took a very global view, which was fascinating, but the enormity of that meant we could only really cover the really big deals.
What I love so much about transfer deadline day with Sky Sports News was seeing how much the fans were infatuated by the day. Whatever the club and however big or small the signing - by British standards the hype was enormous, almost American-like and I loved seeing how we amplify the event and make it into such an occasion for football fans all around the country. I have no doubt that come Monday 1st September there will be no better place to be than inside our newsroom.
The day will be hectic: agents will be busy, social media hoaxes will be rife, footballers will be anxious. That's why people come to Sky Sports News HQ to make sense of it all and sort the news from the nonsense. We have a team of experts who unravel all the commotion, and bring football fans the most accurate and up-to-date breaking news stories throughout the day and into the night as the deadline clock ticks down. Fortunately the brand new studio of Sky Sports News HQ and the new format will allow us to keep pace with everything that is happening, and report it from every angle.
It's a day for all football fans, so we make sure they enjoy unrivalled coverage of their club whoever they support. There are so many ways to watch too that viewers needn't miss a thing, whether in front of a TV, computer or out and about on their mobile. Our website skysports.com and portfolio of apps have recently been revamped too, with added functionality, more video and breaking news, so fans have never been better served.
We're integrating social media on air too. As the breaking news ticker turns yellow throughout the day, viewers can get in touch and have their say through polls conducted via apps, skysports.com and twitter. Make sure you get involved and join in the fun with us on deadline day!
To be a part of such a fantastic team on such a huge day is a dream come true. Transfer deadline day isn't just about Monday evening; it takes a huge amount of planning by so many people. There are over 200 people needed to produce deadline day on Sky Sports News HQ including reporters, gallery staff, editors, camera crews and production staff.
Having been an avid viewer on Deadline Day for years, it's time for me to be on the other side of the lens. And like millions of other football fans around the country, I can't wait for Monday!