Glenn Hoddle

‘On the pitch he was a magician’ – Arsène Wenger The first full autobiography from former footballer and England manager Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle was one of the most celebrated footballers of his generation. A wonderfully talented No. 10 – he formed part of the great Spurs teams of the early 1980s and cut his teeth in the blood and thunder of an England team that prioritised aggression over creativity. Often seen as a player ‘out of time’, Glenn was a playmaker in the purest sense. A creator and a goal scorer, he rose through the Tottenham youth academy – playing under Keith Burkinshaw and crossing paths with the likes of club legends Bill Nicholson and Danny Blanchflower – before going on to play in Monaco under the tutelage of Arsène Wenger. In Playmaker, he looks back on his rise as a prodigious young footballer and talks at length about his career that took him from cleaning the cockerel at White Hart Lane to managing the England football team at a World Cup. From scoring in an FA Cup final to winning the league in France; from revitalising Chelsea in the early 1990s, to managing the fall-out after David Beckham’s infamous sending off at the 1998 World Cup; from surviving a near fatal cardiac arrest at the age of 61, to continuing to work within the game he loves – Playmaker is a life lead through football, and an autobiography of one of the game’s most admired, thoughtful and respected personalities.

It is rare in modern football that a player becomes synonymous with a club but through the 70s and 80s Steve Perryman was the heart and soul of Tottenham Hotspur. Loyal, loved by the fans and trusted by his managers and players the Spurs Captain became the club's record appearance maker, won two UEFA cups, two FA Cups and two League cups. In doing so he endeared himself to a generation of fans as the leader and face of club that, while not always successful, was always entertaining and gave its all on the pitch. In this new autobiography Steve recalls his time at Tottenham, the players he shared the dressing room with, the managers he learnt from (including the great Bill Nicholson) and the colourful adversaries he squared up to on the pitch. He also tells of his time in management, including his spell working with Ossie Ardiles at Spurs under the chairmanship of the controversial Alan Sugar and his successful period in Japan where he won the League Championship. As honest and uncompromising in his book as he was as a player this is a must read for all football fans who recall fondly the era of muddy pitches and approachable players but also for those who want to understand more about the 'beautiful game'.