Product Description

Alan Shearer has been the English player of his generation. "My Story So Far" charts all aspects of his rise to fame, exploring his unique relationships with Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan, his position as captain of his country's team, and his international career, working with Graham Taylor, Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit. This edition has been updated to include new material on the 1998 World Cup as experienced by the England captain. We also hear about Alan Shearer the family man, the importance of his wife and two daughters. Alan Shearer is only at the middle point of a career which promises much more to come - here is the incredible story so far.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #936685 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review

I will never be satisfied with past achievements. After all, as many Manchester Utd and some Blackburn fans will confirm, I'm a greedy so-and-so and my appetite for success is nowhere near satisfied.

It's a precarious life, harvesting the enormous rewards of having a talent for scoring goals, especially when that talent can desert you without warning. England's most prolific goal scorer and the man shepherding the dreams of the Toon Army, Alan Shearer is a man with a lot of expectation riding on his every kick of the ball.

The reality of this responsibility has often made Shearer seem taciturn to the point of surliness in interview, but his own version of events reveals a quietly serious man who regards the game as his workplace, not a lifestyle accessory.

A sheet-metalworker's son, Shearer began his career at Southampton before moving to Blackburn and scoring the goals that won Jack Walker's club the Premiership title in 1995.

His move to success-hungry Newcastle after Euro '96 made him the most expensive footballer in history and while he kept on scoring, a succession of serious injuries prompted debate as to whether his powers would ever fully recover.

His performance at France '98 went some way towards answering his critics and while he has his say here on Dalglish, Gullitt, Hoddle, Taylor and all the controversies that follow in the wake of a career in the public gaze, he knows that it's his football that will have the final word.

Shearer recognises what his great hero and now international manager, Kevin Keegan, realised during his career: To be a "manufactured" player at the highest level--to overcome your apparent lack of natural ability through effort--is simply success by another route.

The game is littered with players who are more gifted than Alan Shearer, but few can match his achievements. This is an inspirational account of a career that is far from over. --Alex Hankin

Review
'My Story So Far not only charts the evolution of an authentic working class hero - sheet metalworker's son to soccer legend - but also hints at a far more subtle character than Shearer wishes to disclose' -- Daily Mail 'An incredible story' -- Independent

About the Author
Alan Shearer grew up in Newcastle, leaving home as a teenager to pursue a career in professional football with his first team, Southampton. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise to football stardom with a world-record-breaking transfer to Newcastle United in 1996 and international success as the Captain of England. He now lives in Newcastle with his wife and children.

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Customer Reviews

A brilliant book that is a must for all football fans.
I`m a huge Alan Shearer fan, I have got five books which are all about him, and this one is by far the best. It was impossible to put the book down and I have read it three times so far. Shearer is a fantastic person, who I greatly admire, and to read a book written by my hero is brill! Its my favourite book of all times.

Shear boredom
As an avid Newcastle fan and England patriot, I was expecting a fantastic insight to the world of modern football. Well, I was bitterly disappointed with the result and at the end of the day you have to say it was a book of two halves! Shearer set out his stall to give an honest account of the life of a footballer, and he succeeded in his aims: he is boring and actually has nothing remotely interesting to say. To be fair, Shearer has given 110% to his effort and deserves full credit for as Kevin Keegan says, football comes first, second and third for him. No disrespect but you have to be philosophical in autobiographies, and Shearer needs to dig deeper, although you can say it's a no win situation! This book is definitely nothing to write home about, Shearer should really have pulled out all the stops to grind out a better result.

I know it's a cliche, but it's definitely one for the boys!!

Shear boredom
As an avid Newcastle fan and England patriot, I was expecting a fantastic insight to the world of modern football. Well, I was bitterly disappointed with the result and at the end of the day you have to say it was a book of two halves! Shearer set out his stall to give an honest account of the life of a footballer... To be fair, Shearer has given 110% to his effort and deserves full credit for as Kevin Keegan says, football comes first, second and third for him. No disrespect but you have to be philosophical in autobiographies, and Shearer needs to dig deeper, although you can say it's a no win situation! This book is definitely nothing to write home about, Shearer should really have pulled out all the stops to grind out a better result.

I know it's a cliche, but it's definitely one for the boys!!