How to Be an Ex-Footballer

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You get built up to be this, and you think, ‘Just take it all with a pinch of salt, because next week someone’s going to tell me how bad I am, because I’ve not scored.’” I've read a good number of books by footballers, both for business and pleasure, and this is easily one of the best, mainly on the grounds that it's incredibly funny Ben Machell, The Times Magazine The only thing more ridiculous than a professional footballer is an ex-professional footballer... the eagerly awaited new book from the bestselling phenomenon

However overpaid and preening you might assume Premier League footballers to be, think again. They're worse, according to this amusing insider's account * Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year * man-children are thrown out into the real world, utterly defenceless apart from their multi-million-pound bank accounts. The former Liverpool and Spurs player added: “I totally understand the buzz, and when you’re in it every single day, it’s hard to get out of that.” Who knew that a footballer could be funny? ... What you realise, as you laugh out loud, is that football has been taken too seriously by too many people for too long... Most other football books wither by comparison Daily Mail Sports Book of the Year Crouch uses each of his chapters to discuss a different subject. Where in previous books this would have been topics such as teammates, managers or tactics and told from his own personal experiences; in comparison and as mentioned in the title, this book focuses on the period once the money stops, the crowds go silent and the boots are hung by their laces to answer the question “what does a retired footballer do?”.

I'm not a big book reader, I'm just not. And I've skimmed through this already and thought 'I'm gonna really, really, really, really like this. Seriously, I'm really gonna like it -- Chris Moyles The source material is promising. How do you cope with life after one of the best jobs possible and the twin highs of competition and earning almost unfathomable amounts of money? Many footballers don't cope well at all, with almost 40% going bankrupt within five years of retirement. Time on their hands can also leave time for various addictions to creep in. Those facts are mentioned, but this book is more about the more entertaining things footballers have gone on to do, whether it's a career in art or releasing their own range of condoms.

As previously mentioned at the end of my first ever book review, I have happily returned for a third instalment by every football fan’s favourite robot podcast host. In his new book, which was released yesterday (13th October), the former England striker goes in search of what footballers do when they leave the game and find themselves thrown into the real world. Peter told Chris: “This is just about me being in football for 20 years. Every single day, that’s all I’ve ever known, and then… bang, you’re just thrust into something else. And lots of players that I interviewed for this book have gone into weird and wonderful things. Not just punditry or coaching or management. There’s a varied array of jobs that people have gone into.” Just as there are books being written to be turned into screenplays, there are definitely books that are written to be listened to as opposed to read. Considering Crouch is a successful podcaster, it's not surprising that it is such clear audio book material. The host of That Peter Crouch Podcast concluded: “And people will always try and put you down, but as long as you’ve got that inner belief, and keep having that, and good people around you, you’ll always be okay. So walk with me into the dressing-room, to find out which players refuse to touch a football before a game, to discover why a load of millionaires never have any shower-gel, and to hear what Cristiano Ronaldo says when he looks at himself in the mirror.So, in the spirit of Crouch’s appeal, I allocate today, the 22 October, George Boateng Day. Stalwart of Coventry City, Villa, Middlesbrough and Hull to name a few, Boateng hung up his boots in 2013 and is now assistant coach of the Ghana national team. Happy George Boateng Day, everyone. Who knew that a footballer could be funny? ... What you realise, as you laugh out loud, is that football has been taken too seriously by too many people for too long... Most other football books wither by comparison * Daily Mail Sports Book of the Year * Titled The Troubled, Crouch explores the darker side of retirement and reflects on those whose paths in and beyond football have been more problematic. It’s a reminder of footballers as human beings, their flaws and challenges, their addictions and struggles, their mistakes and reparations. Yes, football is glamorous, yes, it’s swimming in money and, yes, playing football for a living is a dream many of us wished we’d got a chance to live, but it also comes with a short shelf life, a pool of sharks and scammers and one of the most abrupt shifts imaginable, from superstar footballer to has-been ex-footballer. 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. For every successful pundit, there’s a footballer struggling to adjust to life; and while some may find a new lease in becoming a painter, a detective or an MP, the path for others isn’t quite so rewarding. In a Jerry Springer-esque final thought, Crouch thus asks of his readers a simple request: to choose a former footballer and give them a day: ‘mark it in your diary and celebrate them as they once were, and as they are now,’ he urges, ‘don’t’ let them be forgotten.’ When Chris asked what he has learned about life, the former England striker said: “My own experiences are, certainly in football, you’re never as good as people think you are, and you’re never as bad as people think you are. Peter Crouch’s 3rd book is another examination of the lives of football players presented in Crouch’s inimitable style. Crouch is an adequate TV pundit, no better or worse than some of his colleagues on BT Sports, but what he does have that some of the others don’t have is a sense of humour. You get the impression he doesn’t take himself too seriously. For that reason he is one of the more entertaining of the bunch. If you don’t agree with his assessment of the game he’ll still make you laugh.