Usually, times like these rely on Netflix or Amazon Prime to get through. But these football books could really help to diversify your downtime this winter!
5. Johan Cruyff: ‘My Turn’
Beginning easily with one of the greatest legacies that this game has ever seen, Johan Cruyff has given us all something to take away from his autobiography. A man whose influence on the game transcends the odd competitive or territorial rivalry, you begin to really get inside the minds of one of the greatest footballing personalities to ever grace the game. It’s honest, incredible precise and more than insightful for the fellow football nerds out there. We’ve already gone into this book in greater detail in our Ultra UTD Library, but even that doesn’t do it justice. In short, it’s probably one of the most intriguing football books I’ve ever picked up.
Click HERE to be redirected to the Amazon Listing for Johan Cruyff: My Turn – now available as paperback and Kindle for UK customers.
4. Claude Littner: ‘Single-Minded – My Life in Business’
I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but Claude Littner (yes, that immoveable object aside Lord Alan Sugar on BBC’s ‘The Apprentice‘) is actually a pretty huge football fan – with experience on the game’s back line! No, he wasn’t a goalkeeper, but he was incredibly influential during a stint at Tottenham Hotspur alongside Lord Sugar in the early 2000’s. Most joyfully, his autobiography is written in a style which makes you think he’s actually speaking with you. And as far as football books go, I doubt you’ll find many which will surprise you as much as this – particularly when you think who Spurs could have signed under his guardianship!
Click HERE to purchase your very own copy of Claude Littner’s autobiography – available worldwide on Amazon Prime
3. Kevin Keegan: ‘My Life in Football’
In case you’re new over here, then maybe you haven’t seen our full tribute to Kevin Keegan’s autobiography. If so, then you can find it via our Library section alongside a number of my other favourite reads. If not, then here’s a little synopsis. Kevin Keegan’s recant is one of the broadest football books you can ever read. We mentioned Cruyff who also made that voyage from player to manager, but then Johan was pretty much always at the top. Sometimes you need a rollercoaster – to remind you that things can turn at the flip of a coin if times fall against you.
Click HERE to purchase Kevin Keegan: My Life in Football via Amazon – available for Prime for UK customers
2. Shay Given: ‘Any Given Saturday’
This one’s a keeper! From afar, I’ve always respected Shay Given for his shot-stopping ability. When strikers went through one-on-one en route to the Saturday headlines, you kind of thought that the playing field was more levelled than usual whenever Shay was opposing them. Even for a relatively shorter ‘keeper than his comparatives, his reflex ability and tendency to jump higher than an olympian whenever a ball came in – his fearlessness kind of minified his lack of obvious presence. And in his book, we learn about how this could never have been the case!
Click HERE to find out more about Shay Given: Any Given Saturday via its Amazon UK listing. Available in paperback, hardback and Kindle.
1. Dev Bajwa: ‘The Football Spider Web’
I probably should have said this at the beginning, but this list isn’t made in any particular order (numbering just helps for SEO purposes) – otherwise, that would make me the most biased author in the world. That being said, you might like what I wrote! TFSW is all about linking up moments of history which best explain how we got from past to present. So, if you’re looking for more of an overview of the game and its development throughout its most illustrious period, then check it out!