English Soccer

'Immaculate footballer. Imperial defender. Immortal hero of 1966. Master of Wembley. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time.' These are some of the words inscribed beneath the statue of England's World Cup-winning captain, Bobby Moore, at Wembley stadium. Since Moore's death, of bowel cancer at just 51, these accolades represent the accepted view of this national treasure. But what do we actually know about Bobby Moore as a person? What about the grit alongside the glory?

In the summer of 1966, Peter Chapman was a naive 18-year-old from the Angel in North London. He was just about to enter the world of work, having flunked his A Levels and recently discovered that he would not be fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional footballer at Leyton Orient. As a young man on the brink of adulthood, he found himself in a country also on the brink of huge change - and about to have one of the most significant sporting successes in its history.

Football fans will love this insight into the life and mind of Big Sam. With nearly 20 years as a player - plus almost 25 years as a coach and manager - under his belt, Sam Allardyce is one of the most recognisable figures in British football. 'Big Sam' has been a robust defensive general throughout the seventies and eighties, and an imposing touchline presence as a gaffer since 1994. Over the last four decades, Allardyce has seen it all.

The Denmark side of the 1980s was one of the last truly iconic international football teams. Although they did not win a trophy, they claimed something much more important and enduring: glory, and in industrial quantities. They were a bewitching fusion of futuristic attacking football, effortless Scandinavian cool, and laid-back living. They played like angels and lived like you and I, and they were everyone’s second team in the mid-1980s.

In the summer of 2014, Tim Howard became an overnight sensation after more than 10 years as one of America's leading professional soccer players. His record-breaking 15 saves for the United States national team against Belgium in the World Cup electrified a nation that had only recently woken up to the Beautiful Game after decades of hibernation. In this inspiring and candid memoir, the beloved US and Everton goalkeeper finally allows himself to do something that he would never do on the field: He drops his guard.

United With Dad is an emotional tale of football (soccer) fandom and fatherhood, detailing the agonizing final two years of a man's life while drawing on his love for and memories of Manchester United. United With Dad is written by David's son, Simon, who reflects on his father's life and their relationship, attempting to make sense of why, at such a bleak time, a shared love of a football club should matter so much.

Meulensteen's story begins in a provincial region of Holland; a student of the game, René explains how he fought through red tape and bureaucracy to establish himself as a coach with principles he firmly believed in, and how those visionary methods saw him land a remarkable position at the world's biggest club, overseeing the technical development of their most precious department—the youth system.

This is the story of the greatest achievement in the history of international football. After decades of failure, Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and then the World Cup in 2010. At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles. Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012.

When James Montague first began covering football in the Middle East two decades ago, people asked him what future there could possibly be for the beautiful game in one of the most volatile regions in the world. In the years that followed, it would become one of the biggest stories in global sport, from the from revolutionary ultras of the Arab Spring and the takeover of some of the world's biggest clubs by the Emirati super rich, to Qatar's controversial journey towards hosting the 2022 World Cup finals.

Meet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player, and (alongside Paulo Di Canio), undoubtedly the greatest 'cult figure' to play for West Ham United for a generation. Hammer Time is Dicks' hugely entertaining romp through his career with West Ham, shot through with all the great anecdotes of life as a pro back then, and peppered with all the marvellous characters who crossed his path in those halcyon days.

As Britain takes its first steps outside EU jurisdiction, how will football clubs adjust? With the FA keen on tournament success, the FA Youth Cup will play a key role in bringing academy products to prominence. Since 1952, the trophy changed hands every season bar one, with the likes of Crystal Palace, Millwall, Leeds United, and Manchester City lighting up the tournament with superstar teams. From Kids to Champions tells the stories of players who didn't make it at the top level, or left the game disillusioned, along with those of the important coaches and academy directors.

It is probably truer today than ever that the game is made for dribblers. In order to break down a tough opposition, the need for individual brilliance grows. The superb shot, the defense-splitting pass, the brilliantly worked set piece. And, of course, the individual skills of the dribblerEven if you're a player who believes in the one-touch pass and shot instead of dribbling, you'll gain a lot from this book.

When Leah unearths a mysterious time capsule in her local park with her two best friends Mimi and George, she opens up a whole new world of adventure. Transported a hundred years back in time, she finds a women's football team in crisis. Can she and her friends lead them back to victory? The odds are against them, but time is on their side!

Follow Ned's journey from football supporter to reporter—from criss-crossing the country in a banger of a car hoping for a word or two from the latest big signing, to the glamour of the Champions League. Ned really has been there, done that and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it. Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters Ned shares his best stories with affection.

Twenty years ago, an out-of-control prank ended in an accident that destroyed the high school gym and threatened the futures of star athletes Beth and Ally. They move on with their lives carrying their secret while someone else is blamed, but the years reveal that no one truly comes out unscathed. Now, both women are at a crossroads: Beth returns to her hometown after a concussion ends her professional soccer career, and a surprise pregnancy disrupts Ally’s idyllic family. The only thing either of them are sure of is their desire to mend their estranged relationship.

After Charlotte Bowman hooks up with hot Irish footballer Eoghan O’Farrell, she doesn’t expect to see him again. For one thing, she’s too busy for romance. She’s got her designer shoe company, a globe-trotting best friend to keep up with, and a frenetic lifestyle in New York City. But when an elite Irish soccer team reaches out to Charlotte about designing a shoe for its star player, she can’t believe it. Could her random hookup be the celebrity footballer with a penchant for new cleats?

In Choose to Matter, Julie Foudy, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and former captain of the US National team, takes you on a journey to discover your authentic self. This book is a roadmap to unleash that courageous you and have you singing your dreams out loud. Along with sharing stories from her playing days and personal experiences, Julie taps into the wisdom of other incredible female leaders.

When a career-ending injury saw former Ireland and Millwall striker Richie Sadlier retire from football at age 24, his life spiralled out of control. Without structure or a sense of purpose, fuelled by a dependency on alcohol, he spent years running from the dark memories and feelings that had haunted him since childhood. Until one day he hit rock bottom and decided to confront his demons.

In the mid-1990s, Kevin Keegan brought sporting romance and expectation of trophies to Newcastle, Sunderland moved the the Stadium of Light backed by a wealthy consortium, Middlesbrough signed one of the best Brazilians of the era and won their first major trophy - even little Darlington had a former safe-cracker turned kitchen magnate in charge, promising the world. The region even provided England's two key players in Euro 96 in Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne - the far corner seemed destined to become the centre of England's footballing world. But it never happened.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returned to Old Trafford as caretaker manager midway through the 2018-19 season, he breathed new life into a team that was drifting. In this new and definitive biography, Jamie Jackson investigates why he was the perfect man for the job to bring back the glory days. After the confusion under David Moyes, the stagnation of Louis van Gaal and the growing trauma under Jose Mourinho, Manchester United were a club increasingly struggling to challenge for major honours, something the fans had been accustomed to during the reign of Sir Alex Ferguson.