Speaking about how some former players move into management, and how he didn’t, Peter said: “There are times when I think I’m missing out. When I saw Scott Parker getting promoted, I feel like I’m never going to have that buzz. I’m never going to have that team around me and that chance to win a game or win a trophy again. That’s never going to be there for me. There’s something inside me that feels a bit hurt by that.” Peter goes in search of the answer to what his second career might be and encounters stories far more bizarre than anything you'll find on the pitch. From the pleasure and pain of management to the lessons we can learn from Jamie Carragher and Joe Cole on not going to seed. From those staying in the sport—the diehard veterans, coaches, managers, owners and of course the legion of pundits, to those moving on to pastures new. Peter talks to entrepreneurs, men of the cloth, eco warriors, artists, private detectives and budding actors, as well as those who've lost their way in addiction, crime and NFTs. So, in the spirit of Crouch’s appeal, I allocate today, the 22 October, George Boateng Day. Stalwart of Coventry City, Villa, Middlesbrough and Hull to name a few, Boateng hung up his boots in 2013 and is now assistant coach of the Ghana national team. Happy George Boateng Day, everyone. I'm not a big book reader, I'm just not. And I've skimmed through this already and thought 'I'm gonna really, really, really, really like this. Seriously, I'm really gonna like it Chris Moyles Titled The Troubled, Crouch explores the darker side of retirement and reflects on those whose paths in and beyond football have been more problematic. It’s a reminder of footballers as human beings, their flaws and challenges, their addictions and struggles, their mistakes and reparations. Yes, football is glamorous, yes, it’s swimming in money and, yes, playing football for a living is a dream many of us wished we’d got a chance to live, but it also comes with a short shelf life, a pool of sharks and scammers and one of the most abrupt shifts imaginable, from superstar footballer to has-been ex-footballer. It’s a lot for anyone to get their head around, but for mostly young men who have only experienced life in a pampered, dreamlike bubble, it’s easy to see how navigating the real world can be a genuine challenge and why some prefer to leave their footballing pasts well and truly behind. For every successful pundit, there’s a footballer struggling to adjust to life; and while some may find a new lease in becoming a painter, a detective or an MP, the path for others isn’t quite so rewarding. In a Jerry Springer-esque final thought, Crouch thus asks of his readers a simple request: to choose a former footballer and give them a day: ‘mark it in your diary and celebrate them as they once were, and as they are now,’ he urges, ‘don’t’ let them be forgotten.’

However overpaid and preening you might assume Premier League footballers to be, think again. They're worse, according to this amusing insider's account Sunday Times Sports Book of the YearI've read a good number of books by footballers, both for business and pleasure, and this is easily one of the best, mainly on the grounds that it's incredibly funny Ben Machell, The Times Magazine So walk with me into the dressing-room, to find out which players refuse to touch a football before a game, to discover why a load of millionaires never have any shower-gel, and to hear what Cristiano Ronaldo says when he looks at himself in the mirror. Who knew that a footballer could be funny? ... What you realise, as you laugh out loud, is that football has been taken too seriously by too many people for too long... Most other football books wither by comparison * Daily Mail Sports Book of the Year * In his new book, which was released yesterday (13th October), the former England striker goes in search of what footballers do when they leave the game and find themselves thrown into the real world. Peter told Chris: “This is just about me being in football for 20 years. Every single day, that’s all I’ve ever known, and then… bang, you’re just thrust into something else. And lots of players that I interviewed for this book have gone into weird and wonderful things. Not just punditry or coaching or management. There’s a varied array of jobs that people have gone into.”

Similar to his previous two books, and in his typical comedic charm style, Peter provides anecdotes from his playing days to shed light on some of the characters he has encountered behind the scenes of some of English football’s biggest clubs. I'm not a big book reader, I'm just not. And I've skimmed through this already and thought 'I'm gonna really, really, really, really like this. Seriously, I'm really gonna like it -- Chris Moyles When Chris asked what he has learned about life, the former England striker said: “My own experiences are, certainly in football, you’re never as good as people think you are, and you’re never as bad as people think you are. You get built up to be this, and you think, ‘Just take it all with a pinch of salt, because next week someone’s going to tell me how bad I am, because I’ve not scored.’”You stroll up to a nite club as player league player and you’re straight in, no queuing, no paying, no hassle, people want to buy you drinks. They want to be your friend… then you finish and your invisible, no one cares. You go from 50’000 people singing your name every week to struggling to get a table in pizza express’

Just as there are books being written to be turned into screenplays, there are definitely books that are written to be listened to as opposed to read. Considering Crouch is a successful podcaster, it's not surprising that it is such clear audio book material.

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man-children are thrown out into the real world, utterly defenceless apart from their multi-million-pound bank accounts.

The only thing more ridiculous than a professional footballer is an ex-professional footballer... the eagerly awaited new book from the bestselling phenomenon

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Who knew that a footballer could be funny? ... What you realise, as you laugh out loud, is that football has been taken too seriously by too many people for too long... Most other football books wither by comparison Daily Mail Sports Book of the Year Talking about what we learn at school, the former Liverpool and Tottenham player said: “I don’t know why we’re not taught about mortgages or bank accounts, but we’re taught Pythagoras Theorem. I’ve never used that in my life, but I’d love to know these other things, life skills, if you know what I mean.” The source material is promising. How do you cope with life after one of the best jobs possible and the twin highs of competition and earning almost unfathomable amounts of money? Many footballers don't cope well at all, with almost 40% going bankrupt within five years of retirement. Time on their hands can also leave time for various addictions to creep in. Those facts are mentioned, but this book is more about the more entertaining things footballers have gone on to do, whether it's a career in art or releasing their own range of condoms.