I love football and my favourite team in the world is the mighty Liverpool Football Club. The passion of their fans that is visible at every match when they chant you'll never walk alone as well as the songs they mad up about all the players and Rafael Benitez. And one such player whose name is chanted is Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard.
Why did I buy the book? I was in a bookshop in Dublin, just browsing at all the new releases they had on offer. Gerrard - My Autobiography was on the table so I decided to buy it as he is one of my favourite players and I wanted to see from his perspective what life growing up in Liverpool is like, what Liverpool Football Club means to him and also what does it mean to have the Kop end of Anfield chanting his name.
What did I learn from the book? I learned alot about the infliuential and versatile captain of Liverpool. Family is very important to him. From the book you can tell that he is utterly devoted to Alex, Lilly Ella Lexie, his brother Paul and of course his parents. You can feel his utmost respect and admiration to Gerrard Houllier who brought him up to thje first team in 1999-2000. You can also sense his frustration when he couldnt get a contract with Liverpool he was going to sign with Manchester United (YTS Contract). He explains also the incident that could have changed his life alltogether that would have stopped him playing football for the rest of his life. When he was about 9 he was out playing football in the park when he stood on an old rusty garden rake and it when through his toe. He had just started with Liverpool and if it wasnt for the doctors and nurses, Steven Gerrards life would have turned out a lot more different.
The sypnosis of the book: Steven Gerrard is a hero to millions, not only as the inspirational captain of Liverpool FC, but as a key member of the England team. Here, for the first time, he tells the story of his lifelong obsession with football, in an honest and revealing book which captures the extraordinary camaraderie, the soul-destroying tensions and the high-octane thrills of the modern game as never before. Born in the Liverpool suburb of Huyton in 1980, Steven first joined Liverpool as a YTS trainee and played his first game for the first team aged just 18. His career has gone from strength to strength ever since and he is now the team's captain and its lynchpin. Liverpool's incredible comeback in the Champions' League final in Istanbul in May 2005, recovering from a 3-goal deficit against AC Milan to win on penalties, is testament to the amazing power Gerrard has over his team. His presence on the pitch is a force to be reckoned with and places him amongst the very first rank of players in the world. A relatively private figure, Steven has rarely spoken out in public. Now, his legions of fans will be allowed an intimate glimpse of what makes their hero tick. He speaks for the first time about the torturous will-he-won't-he Chelsea rumours and his undying passion for Liverpool. We experience first-hand the highs of winning in Istanbul and elsewhere, as well as the occasional lows of being parted from his much-loved family and friends. And of course, the book contains a full blow-by-blow account of England's world cup campaign in Germany 2006. Steven Gerrard's book is the definitive football autobiography. Like its subject, it's honest, passionate and exhilarating. If Steven Gerrard isn't your hero yet, by the time you've read this he will be...
Amount of pages: 320
Would I reccommend this?: Yes this is a must have to any football fans book collection. It is well worth the money.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Great range of topics dealt with honestly and professionally Disadvantages: Probably premature, to the point where a second autobiography is likely at some point
Oct 11th, 2007
very helpful by (95%):
helpful by (5%):
