The no-holds-barred autobiography of former Scotland international and top-flight English Football League striker David Speedie.
Written with multi-award-winning writer Paul Hodgson.
Born in Scotland but raised in Yorkshire, David dreamed of swapping his job as a Doncaster coal-miner for a career in professional football. Not only did he achieve this, but he played at the highest level for clubs such as Chelsea, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Leicester City.
In this compelling book, David:
- Looks back on his battle to escape the coal-mining industry and a life spent down the pits in order to fulfil his dreams of becoming a professional footballer
- Gives you the inside track on achieving promotion to the top flight with Chelsea, Blackburn, West Ham (while on loan from Southampton) and Leicester City
- Recalls how he became the first player since Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick at Wembley, while playing for Chelsea
- Is brutally honest about the people he encountered in football across his long career
- Speaks of his sadness at the loss of former Scotland manager Jock Stein, and of being left out of the Scotland World Cup squad afterwards
- Talks candidly about his battle with depression and how he overcame it
This gripping autobiography is a must-read for anyone interested in the English game in the 1980s or the Scotland national team of that era.
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"As combative a bit of writing as you might expect, an extraordinary story of scraps and tussles, fall-outs and disagreements."
" - The Daily Telegraph
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"A 'warts and all' biography that is entertaining, hard-hitting and brutally honest... there is so much more in Paul Hodgson’s book to savour. It relives a colourful career that reminds us the game did not begin with the Premier League and SKY TV. Biographies can often be formulaic, but the real charm of The David Speedie Story is that there is no attempt to sanitise the tale of a striker who always gave 100%."
" - gameofthepeople.com
