Behind Closed Doors

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Behind Closed Doors

By: Gary Lineker, Danny Baker

Narrated by: Gary Lineker, Danny Baker

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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin
***Includes a new foreword by Gary Lineker about football in lockdown***

Shortlisted for The Telegraph Sports Book Awards

'Lineker is nearly as good a presenter as I was a footballer' DIEGO MARADONA
'Hilarious, almost as funny as me' ALAN SHEARER
'This is Lineker unleashed. As a non-football nut I didn't expect to enjoy it, but between laddish anecdotes are passages of sudden tenderness. . . Lineker opens up, dislodging memories and reflections, not just about football but his whole life.' THE TIMES
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'Football is a simple game. 22 players chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end the Germans always win.'

This book is inspired by the stories Danny and I have shared with each other about what life in football is really like: in the dressing room, in the commentary box, on the pitch and - with the appropriate pixellation - in the showers afterwards.

What's it really like to play with Messi? I wouldn't know, but I have starred alongside him in an advert for Walkers crisps. And, well, his performance was world-class.

And what is a life in football really like? You won't learn much from the dull-as-dishwater post-match interviews - it's a world of secrets, superstitions, laughs and personalities, and let me tell you, half of it you won't believe.

I've looked back at my playing days, from England to Leicester, Everton to Barcelona, Tottenham to, er, Nagoya Grampus Eight, and shared the chaotic behind-the-scenes secrets of Match of the Day - and Danny has chipped in with stories from a lifetime following the game as a fan.

From Italia '90 to Leicester's Premier League fairytale, from yellow cards to World Cup trophies (I've never been awarded either), from Gascoigne to Maradona, you'll find it all here - everything you always wanted to know about football, but didn't realise that you did.

Inspired by the No.1 podcast Behind Closed Doors

Gary LinekerDanny BakerGary LinekerDanny BakerPenguin Audio

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I feel it is important to open with a statement. I haven't listened to the podcast this book was born from. There I've said it. It isn't much of a revelation, I generally don't listen to podcasts anyway. Not out of any dislike for them - there's one or two that I dip into every now and again but I have all but given up hope of ever catching up with them. What does this all mean for the review? Well one thing really, at the start of the book it is revealed that some information is new to the book, while some are stories they have discussed previously in the podcast. So by not listening to the podcast EVERYTHING was new. I like that.

I find that recently every time I am reading a memoir or non-fiction book that I choose to listen on audio, especially when the narration is done by the author. Here the audiobook is narrated by both Gary and Danny in (mostly) alternating chapters, and I think it probably added a lot to the story.

Over the course of almost 8 hours Gary and Danny regale us with tales of football as a player and as a fan.

Gary brings us some of the highlights from his career, including "poogate" (is that a highlight or a lowlight I wonder?). During the course of a career which included stints at various clubs in the UK as well as with Barcelona in Spain and Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan, Gary earned a number of honours, but unfortunately not the league or World Cup. He is one of very few players to have never received a single red or yellow card in his career - earning him a reputation of Mr. Nice Guy, although through the course of the book we learn one or two things that he might not get away with these days. Once we get beyond his playing days he also talks about how he became a pundit, and later a TV presenter. These sections are somehow more interesting to me, perhaps because I remember very little of Gary's playing career, he moved to Japan when I was 7 and retired two years later, so he wasn't exactly around when I was paying attention to the game. I found the sections with Gary very interesting, but also incredibly funny. He certainly knows how to laugh at himself, but also has one or two jokes at the expense of former colleagues.

For me though the real gems come from Danny. He tells stories from the viewpoint of a true football fan. It is clear to see that he has a great love of the game. He speaks quite often about his beloved MIllwall, and how he came to support them, and I listened with a certain jealousy. To have such strong ties to a team from birth seems amazing to me. As mentioned, I think his sections are the best part of the book, and he had me in tears of laughter at various points. I especially enjoyed his tale of hitching to Italia 90 and his other work during the world cups - although I can't agree with his opinion on Vuvuzelas.

All in all, I loved this book. Of course, my opinion is largely skewed by my love of football, so I'm not sure how much there is here for you if you don't like the sport. I definitely recommend it to other fans though.