The Secret Player cover art

The Secret Player

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The Secret Player

By: uncredited
Narrated by: Jamie Parker
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About this listen

For those who enjoyed I Am the Secret Footballer, this new book delivers hard-hitting insights into the hidden world of professional football and footballers.

In the vein of Hotel Babylon and Confessions of a GP, The Secret Player will fascinate football fans with its wealth of insider knowledge and willingness to talk, albeit anonymously, about the inner workings of the game. Based on the hugely popular 'The Player' columns in FourFourTwo magazine, the book gives a warts-and-all insight into the daily life of professional footballers.

Month by month, it chronicles the oscillating rhythms of the season, from the trudge of pre-season to the 'squeaky-bum time' of promotion and relegation. The player himself has played at all levels of English football - from Premier League to a season of non-League - and represented England.

©2013 Anonymous (P)2013 Headline Digital
Football (Soccer) Sociology of Sports Sports

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All stars
Most relevant
Narration by Jamie Parker was boring, but did get used to it by the end.

Nothing really shocking in the book very tame. But interesting never the less.

The secret player

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I binge listened to this book. Every chance I got I was grabbing 15 mins here, 30 mins there.

I had been looking to fill the void after listening to all of The Secret Footballer series and was surprised to come across this book. It is the memoirs of a Premier League footballer condensed and told as if it was taking you on a journey through an entire season. Very well written and presented. Light hearted at times and doesn’t need to be heavily sanitised like the autobiographies because it is written anonymously.

Half the fun is working out who is behind this for their story. 99% sure I’ve pinpointed the culprit :)

Couldn’t put it down

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What made the experience of listening to The Secret Player the most enjoyable?

It was a great way to get a glimpse into the life of a professional footballer.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the author explains how he knows that his time as a footballer is running out it makes you realise that football is a harsh career. Players have shelf lives and by the time they are in their early 30's they are on their way out.

Any additional comments?

For anyone who likes the famous "Secret Footballer" this is definitely an interesting alternative and worth listening too. This book is probably a bit more laddish than the Secret Footballer - he is willing to go into much more detail about his personal life than The Secret Player but it's just as revealing as to what goes on behind the scenes at a top flight club.

Interesting Glimpse into a player's season

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But only in parts, stayed with it though! !!
Generally an acceptable listen and not distracting.

Interesting and Entertaining

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Would you listen to The Secret Player again? Why?

I often wondered what went on behind the scenes of the Premier League, but this book has gone a long way toward explaining it all. It feels very honestly told and really lifts the lid. I am sure I listened to much of it with my mouth half open. If you watch the Premiership then I think this is kind of a must-read because it will help to add to the sense of drama each season.

Helps me appreciate the Premier League soap opera!

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