How to Be a Footballer

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The book looks at the technical side of the game and what you should watch out for in respect to tactical decisions and formations. Released in September 2016, Arsenal legend Ian Wright’s book focuses on his journey from Sunday morning football in South London to one of the Premier League’s all time top goalscorers and England international. Very self-deprecating, Crouch has done extremely well to change the public’s perception of him and is fast becoming one of the most entertaining characters in the game.

Supporters can easily become obsessed by tactics and formations. Whether the “diamond” trumps the “ false nine” or whether 4-3-3 is just 4-5-1 with lazier forwards? And for those who (pre-Covid) lived for those never-ending pub arguments with no hope of resolution, this book is their bible. Although it stops short of explaining the theory of the ‘67th-minute’ goal. That’s explored in detail in There’s Only One Danny Garvey. His aim? “To investigate precisely how politics and football intertwined throughout the world. It was a subject that always fascinated me, and I was conscious that such a book hadn’t been written before.” Co-written with Leicester Mercury feature writer Lee Marlow, Muzzy Izzet’s book is brutally honest and he comes across as a really humble guy who had to work extremely hard to get to the level he played at. Paulo dreams of becoming a football star and escaping his life of poverty. His all-boys neighbourhood team don’t think that girls can play football, but when one of his teammates is injured, the only chance they have of succeeding is if his sister Maria steps in to save the day. This beautifully illustrated picture book provides an insight into life within a Brazilian favela and will inspire young girls to be the hero of their stories. 5. Booked by Kwame Alexander

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If you’re someone who would much rather listen to a book than read one, why not try the 30 day trial through Audible which gives you two free audiobooks to keep regardless of whether you keep the subscription or not. We learn the reason for Forest’s training trips to Scarborough – Peter Taylor, Clough’s assistant manager and the yin to his yang, had a flat there and wouldn’t hire a furniture van – and see examples of Clough’s generosity, but not without tales of his pigheadedness and pride. While the book is often hilarious, Hamilton’s accounts of Clough’s spectacular falling-out with Taylor, his descent into alcoholism and his death are heartbreaking. A Leicester City legend, Muzzy Izzet’s autobiography charts his rise from YTS player at a pre-Roman Abramovich Chelsea to Premier League player with Leicester City to World Cup semi-finalist with the Turkish national side.

Merson’s rollercoaster ride of drinks, drugs and gambling which plagued him throughout his entre career is recounted in a poignant but funny way and the book is littered with laugh out loud anecdotes. With a foreword from Arsene Wenger, Ray Parlour’s book is extremely well-written, easy to read and gives a great account of life as a Premier League footballer in the 1990’s. Some of the most mesmerising passages deal with the star’s status as the only free man in the vast prison camp of Stalinist Hungary in the early-’50s. Tragically, Taylor’s Hungarian co-author Klara Jamrich died of cancer at the age of 35. David Winner Refreshing in its honesty and not one of those “all about me” football books, this will make a great gift for any football fan.

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One of the most recognisable faces in British football, and the ex England manager, Sam Allardyce’s autobiography is blunt, to the point and pulls no punches. He also reveals another side of his persona and talks about his personal battles with his inner demons, drugs and his time spent in prison for assault. An enjoyable book and a bit of an eye-opener when he talks about the racism he has experienced within the game.

The notorious prankster caused mischief at pretty much every club he played for and he recounts his stories in typical light-hearted fashion.Released in 2014, Harry Redknapp’s book is a fantastic stroll down memory lane from one of the most iconic managers in the modern game. Published 12 months after the first book, we feel that he could have combined the two however this is still an entertaining book in it’s only right and you can easily dip in and out of it. This is a powerful book which is full of opinions on his former side Arsenal and their failings in the Premier League in recent years and also the England national side and their inability to perform at major tournaments. Whereas the first book was all about his playing career and his off the field troubles, Sober focuses on the difficulties Adams has faced not only staying off the demon drink but also the problems he has encountered starting out as a new coach.

Throughout the book, Hamann expresses his thoughts and opinions in a no-nonsense way but at no point do you think he is trying to be sensational. Maybe it’s his German charm! I had mixed feelings when I began work on the book,” confesses Kuper. “I felt that the whole thing might be too big for me, and I was concerned about what friends would say when they read it. Yet I also had a sort of blind confidence in my writing ability. An established author probably wouldn’t have taken on such a project. It’s the sort of thing that a young writer needed to do.” This book is a tale about one man’s journey through an unbelievable obsession with the beautiful game. I wanted football to have a proper place in popular culture; I thought someone should say ‘Not all of us are lunatics. We have legitimate emotional reasons for watching this game, which is incredibly important culturally and matters to everyone in the world.’”But Hamilton doesn’t just tell stories. He presents an enduring character study of a man who cared deeply about other people while being driven by a need to prove them wrong; a man “obsessed with money, as if he feared he might wake up one morning and find himself a pauper again”; a man just as proud of reaching cup finals with a patchwork Forest side and no facilities as he was of winning two European Cups during richer times.