The Accidental Footballer

De: Pat Nevin

Narrado por: Pat Nevin

The Sunday Times best seller

Pat Nevin never wanted to be a professional footballer.

His future was clear, he'd become a teacher like his brothers. There was only one problem with this - Pat was far too good to avoid attention.

Raised in Glasgow's East End, Pat loved the game, playing for hours and obsessively following Celtic. But as he grew up, he also loved Joy Division, wearing his Indie 'gloom boom' coat and going on marches - hardly typical footballer behaviour!

Placed firmly in the '80s and '90s, before the advent of the Premier League, and often with racism and violence present, Pat Nevin writes with honesty, insight and wry humour. We are transported vividly to Chelsea and Everton and colourfully diverted by John Peel, Morrissey and nights out at the Hacienda.

The Accidental Footballer is a different kind of football memoir. Capturing all the joys of professional football as well as its contradictions and conflicts, it's about being defined by your actions, not your job, and it is the perfect reminder of how life can throw you the most extraordinary surprises when you least expect it.

©2021 Pat Nevin (P)2021 Octopus Publishing Group

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Unusually vibrant and elegant with heroic doses of humour, insight and self-effacement, this is an absolute must-read for the football connoisseur." (Omid Djalili)

"I grew up captivated by Pat Nevin the player. As a man he taught me even more about the beauty of the game. One of football's great mavericks, and Chelsea's greatest players. And he can spin a mean tune too." (Sam Matterface)

"I used to walk miles to see Pat Nevin play football and I'd do the same now to read his thoughts. Always challenging, always entertaining." (Lord Sebastian Coe)

"A heroic outsider - a pleasure to read." (The Guardian)

"A fulsome evocation of football before the Premier League." (The i)

"Honest, raw, revealing and very funny. How to live a life and career to the full. Insightful book about the most successful outsider inside football ever...." (Henry Winter, chief football writer, The Times)

"Pat is a wonderful one-off...and this is the story of why that is." (John Murray, chief sports correspondent, BBC Radio 5 Live)

"The biggest influence of my professional career both on and off the pitch." (Graeme Le Saux)

"A refreshingly honest and thought-provoking autobiography. As deftly delivered as some of Pat's ball skills in his 1980's heyday." (ToffeeWeb)

A lovely walk through memories.

It was great listening to Pat himself. Loved him as a smart skillful player. Loved his story.

Great fun listening !

Neil Branfield
South Africa

What stood out the most is Pat’s moral character.
I fell I would’ve been tempted by some of the female fan mail he received : )
Being of Christian faith I would have liked to have known more about his religious beliefs. He does say his parents were religious.
The characters Pat described at Chelsea 84 were exactly as I imagined them. I felt he could have gone a bit easier on Morrissey being a big Smiths fan myself.
Excellent read especially being a Chelsea and Celtic fan myself. And the overall theme of him enjoying life shines through and I truly believe he is having just as much fun now as he was playing football. Great stuff!

For the love of the game

loved it, for anyone that loves football and music and defining what is important in life, great work Pat, what a footballer you are to .

Love it, every word

From start to finish interesting and different. How footballers ought to be, playing for fun and remembering that always