Sports Biographies Football

Bill Belichick is one of the most intriguing yet enigmatic figures in contemporary American sports. He is the best professional football coach of our era, and his New England Patriot teams are the winner of three of the last four Super Bowls, including one of the most stunning upsets in that championship series. Yet until now, Belichick has deliberately stayed as far from the spotlight as possible, proving himself as elusive as he is talented.

In this "powerful and inspiring" true story, follow Joe Moglia's legendary career transition from head football coach at Coastal Carolina University to the CEO of TD Ameritrade, one of the country's most successful financial firms. By the time Joe was in his early 30s, he had risen through the high school and college football ranks to become the defensive coordinator at Dartmouth. His dream was very much within reach. Problem was, Joe wasn't making enough money to support his growing family.

In this powerful memoir, Tony reveals how he summoned the courage to "run with purpose" during the times when racial tensions ran high as he grew from a boy trapped by the racial divide in Birmingham, Alabama, into a successful man and football hero. Inspirational and uplifting, Touchdown Tony is not only a behind-the-scenes look at a great football player's life and career; it is also a story of redemption and one man's hope to change the future.

This graphic biography tells listeners the moments that have defined Colin Kaepernick’s life as a quarterback and an activist. His talent and determination made him a college football success and brought him to the National Football League. As a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he led his team to multiple playoffs and even competed in the Super Bowl. When outrage over violence against African Americans became a national movement, Kaepernick joined the protests. His decision cost him his career in football, but he gained a voice heard worldwide.

Fauja Singh was born determined. He was also born with legs that wouldn't allow him to play cricket with his friends or carry him to school miles from his village in Punjab. But that didn't stop him. Working on his family's farm, Fauja grew stronger to meet his own full potential. He never stopped striving. At the age of 81, after a lifetime of making his body, mind, and heart stronger, Fauja decided to run his first marathon. He went on to break records all around the world and became the first person over 100 to complete the grueling long-distance race.

When it comes to college football, there are fans and there are fanatics. Destined by geography and family tradition to latch onto the Arkansas Razorbacks, Blant Hurt is of the second type. Like most devotees, he was captivated by his love of his team at an early age. But unlike more casual fans, Hurt found himself attaching what some might call “outsize life importance” to the fortunes of the Razorbacks - a team which, as the seasons progressed, provided more downs than ups.

Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodríguez, Diego Costa, David de Gea, José Mourinho… todos tienen un nombre en común: Jorge Mendes. El representante portugués, antes propietario de una cadena de videoclubes en el norte de Portugal, maneja los hilos (y los millones) del mercado futbolístico.

Basta is the raw, honest, but above all gripping autobiography of Marco van Basten. It's the unfiltered story of his rise to fame, from being under the wing of Cruyff and experiencing life as an Ajax player to being propelled into the spotlight following Euros '88 - and scoring the greatest goal ever to win a major final - and playing for AC Milan at the peak of Italian football's popularity.

One football fan's 50-year wait to see his team play at Wembley, the national stadium. The book has proved popular in the UK.

Matt Jansen had it all. He was young, quick, audaciously skillful and, at the turn of the millennium, regarded as one of the most intelligent attacking talents in English football. His potential seemed boundless. After bursting onto the scene with Carlisle United in 1997, Sir Alex Ferguson tried to lure him to Manchester United, but foreseeing only a bench spot at Old Trafford, Jansen instead opted for Steve Coppell’s Crystal Palace.

El primer recuerdo en la vida de Ander Izagirre es una explosión de gritos, saltos y abrazos en casa de sus abuelos: el gol de Zamora que daba la liga a la Real Sociedad en el último suspiro. A partir de ese primer recuerdo luminoso, Izagirre va tirando del hilo, recogiendo historias asombrosas de su familia, de su ciudad (San Sebastián) y de un mítico estadio, Atocha, en donde "se mezclaba el tufo fermentado y dulzón del mercado de frutas con el aroma fresco de la hierba recién regada y el humo de los puros".

No hay guía turístico en este país más preparado que un aficionado errante del Murcia. Desde 1996 hasta 2016, el Murcia ha jugado en el grupo murciano de Tercera, el grupo catalán de Segunda B, el grupo andaluz de Segunda B, el grupo gallego de Segunda B, Segunda y Primera División. El Murcia ha visto mucha España, excesiva, y eso ha traído consecuencias: hay aficionados del Murcia a los que ya no les queda España por ver, hay aficionados del Murcia que ya han marcado todas las casillas.

Tras el quinto sorbo al Kas me dieron ganas de mear y bendita la diminuta vejiga de un niño. De camino a los lavabos, con la cremallera del inocente pantalón corto todavía abierta, apareció la imagen. Destellos de luz dorada y cantos angelicales iluminaron el pasillo y el videojuego de mi vida mostró el primer logro desbloqueado en mitad de la pantalla. Entre bidones de cerveza y una pila de listines telefónicos desfasados, surgió un póster del Oviedo de la temporada 1987-88. La del último ascenso a primera división. Ahí comenzó todo.

Para Ignacio Martínez de Pisón (Zaragoza, 1960), el Zaragoza son recuerdos de Las Gaunas de Logroño y de goles de Felipe Ocampos en La Romareda. Es el desesperado braceo de Seaman en la final de la Recopa contra el Arsenal el 10 de mayo de 1995, las propiedades terapéuticas del gol de Nayim y recitar de carrerilla, con entonación de poesía escolar, viejas alineaciones del Zaragoza de su infancia.

From prison to premiership glory: This is Marlion Pickett’s extraordinary story. It’s the third quarter in the biggest game of the season. A young man lines up for goal. The 100,000 strong crowd leaps to its feet and roars as Marlion Pickett sends the ball soaring through the goalposts for his first ever major, celebrated by every teammate....

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.

Although she's just four feet, 11 inches tall, Gabby Douglas made a larger-than-life impact on the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Gabby dominated the gymnastics all-around competition with her flawless execution and amazingly high flips, winning gold by a landslide. In early 2012, this pint-sized powerhouse was ready to quit gymnastics for good, but she kept going. Competing at the Olympics at just 16 years old, she became the best female gymnast in the world. Hear about this incredible athlete's journey from Virginia Beach to London gold.

Many people believed NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers would quickly become a star when he joined the Green Bay Packers in 2005. But as the backup to Brett Favre, Aaron didn't get to play much during his first three seasons. When Aaron took over as starting quarterback in 2008, he showed that he belonged on the field. Aaron led his team to the playoffs in 2009. The next season, he guided the Packers to victory in Super Bowl XLV. Learn more about this amazing quarterback's journey from his childhood in California all the way to Super Bowl MVP.

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.

In 1967, a 13-year-old girl named Maureen Wilton set the women's world marathon record, running 26.2 miles in 3:15:23. Nicknamed “Little Mo” by her track teammates, Wilton was already a headline-making athlete. But her accomplishment was greeted with controversy and misogynistic accusations of cheating. Wilton receded into the background, left the sport, and kept her achievement secret. This is the story of what happened and how Maureen found her way back to the sport decades later as the mother of a young runner herself.