Football is for everyone, no matter what background you’re from, what age, what level you play at. This is what it’s all about: coming out today, having a good time, and getting involved.
According to Fifa, over 1.5 billion people watched the 2022 World Cup Final. That is over a billion people more than the year’s Super Bowl, firmly cementing football as the world’s most popular sport.
Footballer biographies are a chance for readers to get better acquainted with the superstars that take to the pitch or orchestrate things from the dugout. With that in mind, check out the 8 best footballer biographies from 2022 here at What We Reading!
Ten Hag: The Biography – Maarten Meijer
In the summer of 2022, Manchester United unveiled former Erik ten Hag as their new manager. Having led Ajax in the Eredivisie since 2017, the Dutchman had established himself as one of the continent’s coolest and most innovative tacticians.
In Ten Hag: The Biography, Maarten Meijer offers the complete guide to the man tasked with bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford. Meijer runs readers through ten Hag’s upbringing, his footballing principles and influences, and how his scientific methods and attention to detail have trailblazed ideas around player morale and modern tactics.
Lioness: My Journey To Glory – Beth Mead
England winning the 2022 Women’s Euros on home soil was one of the most defining moments in the hunt for equality across the beautiful game. The Lionesses captured the attention of a nation and became some of the most powerful inspirations to girls in football, with Beth Mead being one of the star names associated with that glorious summer.
In Lioness: My Journey To Glory, Mead details her rise up the football pyramid, documenting the challenges and obstacles she’s had to overcome both on and off the pitch in what stands as one of the best footballer biographies from 2022.
How (Not) To Be Strong – Alex Scott
Former Arsenal captain and England Lioness Alex Scott has become one of the football world’s most powerful voices, advocating for tolerance and acceptance at a time when more and more fans have become disillusioned by the choices made by those in power.
In her 2022 biography, How (Not) To Be Strong, Scott details how her resilience has taken her on a remarkable journey from the streets of East London to the broadcasting studio in front of millions of people.
On Days Like These – Martin O’Neill
A key member of Brian Clough’s famous Nottingham Forest side and a respected manager in English football’s history, Martin O’Neill has had a career that spans over five decades.
On Days Like These: My Life in Football was one of the most hotly-awaited footballer biographies from 2022, delivering a candid and honest take on his career from inexperienced player to veteran manager. Along with his trademark wit, it is a sublime read that, whether it be from his playing or managerial days, any football fan familiar with him will enjoy.
Jordan Henderson: The Autobiography – Jordan Henderson
A Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Cup winner, Jordan Henderson has been one of the most acclaimed leaders in Liverpool’s history. A devout captain, father and ambassador for the causes he believes in, his 2022 autobiography is one of the most fascinating insights from an active player.
Detailing how a passion for the beautiful game fuelled his early career, the pressures of taking the reins of Liverpool’s captaincy from the legendary Steven Gerrard, all the way to leading Liverpool to their first league title in thirty years, it is a book filled with heartbreak, triumph and incredible dedication.
The Game: Player. Pundit. Fan. – Micah Richards
Ever since ‘bursting onto the scene’ with Sky Sports Micah Richards has become one of British TV’s most enigmatic personalities. A Premier League winner with Man City and England debutant at the age of 18, his career might have been one of ‘what ifs’, however, his time as a pundit has redefined the role with his infectious enthusiasm and trademark laugh.
In his 2022 autobiography, The Game: Player. Pundit. Fan., Richards recounts his time in the game, giving readers behind-the-scenes insights into everything from how he spent his first Premier League paycheque, to winding up Roy Keane in the studio.
How To Be an Ex-Footballer – Peter Crouch
Football is a sport where top professionals only have a window of a decade or so of stable employment if they’re lucky.
In How to Be an Ex-Footballer, former Liverpool, Spurs and England striker Peter Crouch looks at the pitfalls that follow even the best in the business once they hang up their boots. Delivered with all the quips and laughs readers have come to expect from one of the game’s biggest characters, this 2022 football biography follows Crouch as he speaks to fellow former pros and explores his own future prospects.
The People’s Game – Gary Neville
Gary Neville has experienced football at every level. From player, assistant coach, manager, pundit, and club owner, his views come from seeing football through the lenses of almost every angle.
He has also established himself as one of the most principled and passionate figures in the sport, speaking eloquently about the issues with the price of football for the average fan whilst billionaires line their pockets at the highest levels.
The People’s Game is Gary Neville’s 2022 biography examining the state of the modern game, whilst proposing logical solutions to combat the rampant greed shown by those at the top of the pyramid.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
