How to Be an Ex-Footballer

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It is a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of life after the final whistle when the ridiculous amounts of money disappear as quickly as the chants from the adoring crowds. Personally I prefer The Secret Footballers collection but Crouch being able to put names to stories and his own laidback style is a great touch.

But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a US Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes.This deeply personal and supportive series offers listeners an honest and relatable insight into how some the UK's best-known celebrities have coped with mental health difficulties, ranging from OCD to insomnia, addiction to grief, and depression to anxiety. It’s a lot for anyone to get their head around, but for mostly young men who have only experienced life in a pampered, dreamlike bubble, it’s easy to see how navigating the real world can be a genuine challenge and why some prefer to leave their footballing pasts well and truly behind. A surprisingly good read considering that I am not a great football fan but I have to say I enjoyed this book enormously.

It’s a reminder of footballers as human beings, their flaws and challenges, their addictions and struggles, their mistakes and reparations. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived.

I wont rush to re-read like I have Crouchy’s other books, but it’s still good for anyone who’s read his previous. We'll be coached and cajoled by Harry Redknapp, upset Rafa Benitez and be soothed by the sound of an accordion played by Sven-Goran Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. In this book he examines some of the ways other ex players have also successfully forged a new life after their careers ended.