A look at the history of soccer's development in the Netherlands and how it reflects the history of the nation itself.If any one thing, Brilliant Orange is about Dutch space and a people whose unique conception of it has led to the most enduring arts, the weirdest architecture, and a bizarrely cerebral form of soccer?Total Football?that led in 1974 to a World Cup finals match with arch-rival Germany, and more recently to a devastating loss against Spain in ...

This follow-up to Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer is "an enchanting love letter to English football" ( The Daily Telegraph).In this playful, witty, and highly original look at English soccer, David Winner, author of the acclaimed Brilliant Orange, journeys to the heart of an essential English pastime and sheds new light on the true nature of a rapidly changing game that was never really meant to be beautiful....

Rio Ferdinand is one of the finest footballers of his generation - a born winner and one of the game's greatest stoppers. Full of outstanding stories and forthright opinions, #2Sides sees Rio reflect on his unique rise to the top of the game:- Cutting his teeth in the West Ham youth teams and becoming captain of Leeds United at the age of 22- His record-breaking transfer to Manchester United that made him one of the most revered centre-backs in world football...

No player has been more synonymous with the glory years of Manchester United Football Club over the past two decades than right-back Gary Neville. An Old Trafford regular since he attended his first match at the age of six, captain of the brilliant 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning team that became known as 'Fergie's Fledglings', outspoken representative of MUFC, Neville is the ultimate one-club man. He has been at the heart of it all and, at the end of an amazing career, is now ready to tell it a...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Outrageous, audacious, jaw-dropping' SUNDAY TIMES'An essential read' DAILY MAIL'Utterly captivating' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Hugely entertaining' GUARDIANThe fascinating life story of professional cricketer Kevin Pietersen, MBE, from his childhood in South Africa to his experiences as one of the leading lights in the world of inte...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Wrighty's characteristic honesty means his book is far more engrossing than most bland football memoirs' Sunday TimesIan Wright, Arsenal legend, England striker and TV pundit extraordinaire, is one of the most interesting and relevant figures in modern football.His journey from a South London council estate to national treasure is everybody's dream. From Sunday morning football directly ...

So who is Louis van Gaal? An inflexible ex-PE teacher who only knows how to act like a dictator or a footballing visionary that has made him one of the greatest ever European managers?Wherever he has gone, Van Gaal has been accused of being a domineering disciplinarian and a control freak. He is certainly, by his own admission, a man who leaves nothing to chance. A disciple in the 1970s of Rinus Michels’ Total Football philosophy, he is a fascinating contradiction – an ultra-indivi...

**The Sunday Times Bestseller and Number 1 Sport Book of 2016'A tale that's truly inspirational' The Sun**An ordinary lad from Sheffield, Jamie Vardy has become known as an against-the-odds footballing hero the world over. Yet a few years ago, things couldn’t have been any more different. Rejected as a teenager by his boyhood club, Jamie thought his chance was gone. But from playing pub football and earning £30 a week at Stocksbridge Park Steels, while sti...

Ever wondered how a transfer deal is done? What a manager says during his pre-match team-talk? What he screams from the techincal area? What goes on in training sesions, and on those long away trips? How a manager carefully builds a team, and what he does when the planning is disrupted by injuries? How he lifts a team after a crushing defeat, and keeps their feet on the ground after a resounding victory? How the man in charge handles the ever-present danger of getting sacked in the ultimat...

Access inside the changing room and behind the scenes that any journalist or writer would kill for - Perarnau's insights are astonishing' - Graham Hunter'Write about everything you see. Be as critical as you like' - Pep Guardiola to Marti Perarnau, summer 2013Marti Perarnau was given total access to Bayern Munich during season 2013-14. This book represents the first time in the modern era that a writer has got this close to one of the elite teams of world football. At the i...

The bestselling anonymous author is back with the ultimate book to challenge conventional footballing wisdom. This is football gift with a bit of attitude. Perfect for football fans and armchair referees alike.With his trademark wit, opinion and candour, The Secret Footballer will guide the reader through: The pass - geometry and positioning and intelligence; Fitness; Skills & dribbling; Power & passion; When to listen to your gaffer and when to ignore him; Data and how it is used ...

In Stillness and Speed, one of football's most enigmatic stars finally opens up about his life and career, revealing the things that motivate and inspire him. Viewed by many as one of the most influential figures in Premier League history, and scorer of the goal that Arsenal fans voted the best in the club's history, Dennis Bergkamp is a true giant of the game.As a youngster, Bergkamp learned from the Dutch master Johan Cruyff. By the time the pupil was ready to graduate f...