Book Review: Stan Collymore - Tackling my Demons

Stan Collymore had the ability to be one of England's greatest footballers. But he retired from the game at the age of 29. This book explains why. It's one of the best football biographies of all time - searingly honest, at times very sad, at times it leaves you shaking your head in despair. It's dominated by one person - Ulrike Jonsson. It was she who Collymore hit in a Parisian bar during the 1998 World Cup. She was the love of his life and became the spark which lit the fuse of his downfall. It's not a pretty book, but it depicts the life of a modern day professional footballer without any of the rose tinted glasses usually found in the genre of football autobiography. If Collymore hates a fellow player he tells you. Gareth Southgate is one such example. He goes into graphic detail about his 'dogging' obsession and admits ot being a sexaholic. This is not a comfortable book to read. But if you want to understand a bit more about depression in people who seemingly have it all, it's un-put-downable. Well it kept me entertained in amongst my sniffs and snivels yesterday!