Depending on what you know about the real life of a professional footballer, you may find I Am The Secret Footballer either intriguing, mediocre or incredibly unenlightening. The less you know, the more you’ll learn. And there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you don’t know what their real lives are like. Very few of us get to enter that inner circle where we know their innermost thoughts and what it’s like to be rolling in money.

I Am The Secret Footballer is a no-nonsense look inside the life of a modern day Premier League footballer. Everything from the money, parties, what they really think of supporters, what it’s like to rise from the lower leagues to the top flight and much more.

The Secret Footballer has been a regular column in The Guardian for almost two years, but now the anonymous footballer has launched a book that chronicles his start in the game followed by chapters that tackle a range of subjects including money, managers, fans, the media and agents.

This is the type of book that doesn’t reveal anything earth shattering, but it’s still an interesting read. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on agents, which paints a completely different light on their role as opposed to the way they’re often vilified in the press by managers or chairmen.

The book is timely and topical, so anyone who has a passing interest in the Premier League will find enough anecdotes to keep them interested. I wouldn’t say it’s a throwaway book, but it has that feel to it. I don’t think it’s the sort of book that you’ll remember vividly in a few years, but it’s an easy read with tidbits of insight thrown in here and there.

To me, the only annoying aspect of the book is that the secret footballer writes anonymously. In a column, it’s understandable. But the book would have been a whole lot more explosive and credible if the author had been willing to come out and put his name behind it. By not doing that, it’s easy to become distracted while reading it because you’re trying to piece the clues together to figure out who this mystery footballer is. If the footballer is still playing, then I can understand his decision. But it’s still frustrating nonetheless.

I Am The Secret Footballer would be a good stocking stuffer in time for the holidays for anyone who enjoys learning about what life is like as a professional footballer. The book is currently available in all fine booksellers including Amazon and on the Kindle.