Luis Suárez was a young boy already in love with football by the time his family moved from the countryside to Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. The guile and trickery of the street kid made an impact with the country's biggest club, Nacional, before he was spotted by Dutch scouts who brought him to Europe. Suárez was lured from Ajax to Merseyside by another iconic number 7, Kenny Dalglish. From that moment, he terrorised Premier League defences, driving a resurgent Liverpool towards their most exciting top-flight season in 24 years. But there is another side to Luis Suárez: the naturally fiery temperament which drives his competitiveness on the pitch. There was the very public incident with Patrice Evra of bitter rivals Manchester United, and the biting of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. Then during the World Cup finals in Brazil, in a physical encounter against Italy, he bit defender Giorgi Chiellini on the shoulder. Banned from football for four months, derided by the press, he was marched out of the country. In the summer's final twist, he became one of the most expensive footballers of all time, moving from Liverpool to Barcelona. In his first season at the Nou Camp he helped Barca to La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, scoring 16 goals in 27 games. In Crossing the Line, Luis Suárez talks from the heart about his intriguing career, his personal journey from scrapping street kid to performer on football's biggest stage, and the never-say-die attitude that sometimes causes him to overstep the mark.

Luis Suárez was a young boy already in love with football by the time his family moved from the countryside to Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. The guile and trickery of the street kid made an impact with the country's biggest club, Nacional, before he was spotted by Dutch scouts who brought him to Europe. Suárez was lured from Ajax to Merseyside by another iconic number 7, Kenny Dalglish. From that moment, he terrorised Premier League defences, driving a resurgent Liverpool towards their most exciting top-flight season in 24 years. But there is another side to Luis Suárez: the naturally fiery temperament which drives his competitiveness on the pitch. There was the very public incident with Patrice Evra of bitter rivals Manchester United, and the biting of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. Then during the World Cup finals in Brazil, in a physical encounter against Italy, he bit defender Giorgi Chiellini on the shoulder. Banned from football for four months, derided by the press, he was marched out of the country. In the summer's final twist, he became one of the most expensive footballers of all time, moving from Liverpool to Barcelona. In his first season at the Nou Camp he helped Barca to La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, scoring 16 goals in 27 games. In Crossing the Line, Luis Suárez talks from the heart about his intriguing career, his personal journey from scrapping street kid to performer on football's biggest stage, and the never-say-die attitude that sometimes causes him to overstep the mark.

As Liverpool F.C. reach their 125th anniversary, amidst the celebrations, doubts persist. Are they still elite? Can their prolonged title drought be ended? Foreign owners say they came to win but the trophy cabinet lies bare. Where to next for the reds? Lost? explores the gloried past, the moneyed present and the uncertain future of both Liverpool F.C. and the English game at large. Have they lost their way? Liverpool F.C.’s most famous manager, Bill Shankly, declared that the club ‘exists to win trophies’ and for many years this maxim proved true, as Liverpool became one of the most successful clubs in European football and dominated the scene in England for over two decades. Yet recently, the victories have dried up and Liverpool have not won the league title in over a quarter of a century. Football is also in a state of flux as major TV deals have made the Premier league the wealthiest in the world, but the gap between the elite clubs and those striving to catch up widens. Has the game lost it’s soul? Who will rise and who will fall as a new uncharted era in football unfolds? Lost? captures exclusive interviews with key figures including former Liverpool managers, Brendan Rogers and Roy Evans, the Shankly family and a whole host of footballing legends, past and present. The book also includes reflective pieces on an array of Premier League clubs from both a sporting and cultural perspective, looking not just at the team in isolations, but also at the communities and landscapes that shape them

Luis Suárez was a young boy already in love with football by the time his family moved from the countryside to Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. The guile and trickery of the street kid made an impact with the country's biggest club, Nacional, before he was spotted by Dutch scouts who brought him to Europe. Suárez was lured from Ajax to Merseyside by another iconic number 7, Kenny Dalglish. From that moment, he terrorised Premier League defences, driving a resurgent Liverpool towards their most exciting top-flight season in 24 years. But there is another side to Luis Suárez: the naturally fiery temperament which drives his competitiveness on the pitch. There was the very public incident with Patrice Evra of bitter rivals Manchester United, and the biting of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, for which Suárez received eight- and ten-match suspensions respectively. Then during the World Cup finals in Brazil, in a physical encounter against Italy, he bit defender Giorgi Chiellini on the shoulder. Banned from football for four months, derided by the press, he left Brazil in the most testing of circumstances. In the summer's final twist, he became one of the most expensive footballers of all time, moving from Liverpool to Barcelona. In Crossing the Line, Luis Suárez talks from the heart about his intriguing career, his personal journey from scrapping street kid to performer on football's biggest stage, and the never-say-die attitude that sometimes causes him to overstep the mark.

It's Just a Ball is a book for anyone who lives and loves soccer. Founded on the author's unique set of experiences, it is a personal exploration of the beautiful game - delivered through a series of personal accounts, broader stories, studies, and interviews - capturing the unique journeys of players, coaches, and people from around the world who have found success in unconventional ways. Throughout it all, one key message emerges: the importance of not just playing soccer, but of embracing it as a lifestyle! From the streets and training centers of Europe and the United States to the beaches of Brazil, the book explores not only what makes soccer great, but makes a great soccer player. Sections include deliberate practice, the value of repetition and rehearsal, 10,000 hours, the impact of culture, and development facilities. It's Just a Ball attempts to make sense of theories and concepts on how a player makes the leap from good to great, and great to elite. Whether you are a player, coach, or a fan, each chapter explores different lessons pulled from the pitch and which can be applied to life. This book challenges traditional learning theories, and links methods used across disciplines and artforms back to soccer. It's Just a Ball is a must-read addition to any bookshelf on the world's universal sport. About the author. Jon Townsend is a long-serving writer for These Football Times and specializes in player development writing. In addition to his writing, he is a technical coach for players ranging from the grassroots to the professional level. His written work has also been featured in The Guardian and Spartan Race Magazine, and on his personal writing website farpostfooty.com. When he's not writing or coaching, he is likely training for a marathon or ultramarathon. He resides in Illinois with his wife and sons.

Luis Suárez was a young boy already in love with football by the time his family moved from the countryside to Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. The guile and trickery of the street kid made an impact with the country's biggest club, Nacional, before he was spotted by Dutch scouts who brought him to Europe. Suárez was lured from Ajax to Merseyside by another iconic number 7, Kenny Dalglish. From that moment, he terrorised Premier League defences, driving a resurgent Liverpool towards their most exciting top-flight season in 24 years. But there is another side to Luis Suárez: the naturally fiery temperament which drives his competitiveness on the pitch. There was the very public incident with Patrice Evra of bitter rivals Manchester United, and the biting of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. Then during the World Cup finals in Brazil, in a physical encounter against Italy, he bit defender Giorgi Chiellini on the shoulder. Banned from football for four months, derided by the press, he was marched out of the country. In the summer's final twist, he became one of the most expensive footballers of all time, moving from Liverpool to Barcelona. In his first season at the Nou Camp he helped Barca to La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, scoring 16 goals in 27 games. In Crossing the Line, Luis Suárez talks from the heart about his intriguing career, his personal journey from scrapping street kid to performer on football's biggest stage, and the never-say-die attitude that sometimes causes him to overstep the mark.

THIS NATIONAL BESTSELLER IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK! UPDATED TO INCLUDE CROSBY'S RECORD-BREAKING 2006-2007 SEASON! When the Pittsburgh Penguins won the right to select first overall in the 2005 NHL draft, there was no doubt who they would pick - Sidney Crosby, the most celebrated junior hockey player since Mario Lemieux. Sidney Crosby was first to win Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the Canadian junior ranks, and first to win consecutive Player of the Year awards At age 16, he became the youngest Canadian player to score in the World Junior Hockey Championships. At 17, he recorded an astonishing 168 points in 62 games, leading his Rimouski team to the Memorial Cup. And in 2005, while not yet 18, Crosby landed a lucrative contract with Reebok, placing him in the same athletic stratosphere as Wayne Gretzky and Tiger Woods. But how did a kid from Nova Scotia come to stand alone on draft day as the NHL's undisputed No. 1 pick? And how did a budding teenage superstar cope with the growing pressures of being dubbed "the next Wayne Gretzky"? In this exciting hockey biography, award-winning sports journalist Gare Joyce retraces the incredible journey of hockey's wunderkind from age-group hockey in Nova Scotia to draft day with Mario Lemieux and his Pittsburgh Penguins. From Halifax to the Czech Republic, Minnesota to Quebec City and all places in between, Joyce explores the making of hockey's brightest star and all the obstacles this amazing young man overcame in pursuit of his dreams. In 2003, Wayne Gretzky was asked if there was one player out there who might one day break his records. He responded "Yes, Sidney Crosby. He's the best player I've seen since Mario (Lemieux)." Gare Joyce's riveting biography of hockey's 18-year-old sensation, retraces Crosby's incredible journey from the lacing up of his first pair of skates to his outstanding first season in the League. Joyce explores the making of a superstar and all of the obstacles this amazing athlete overcame in pursuit of his dreams.

From local Madrid idol to Kop hero and European Championship winner, one of soccer's hottest properties talks about the unique challenges faced in his two years in England, with candid snapshots of his life on and off the field At the age of 25, Spain’s Fernando Torres has already established himself as one of the Liverpool greats and a proud wearer of the fabled No. 9 shirt. His first book tells the captivating story of his career to date. Nicknamed "El Nino" (The Kid), Torres opens up about life on the streets beside Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium, signing for the club at 15, and appointed club captain by 19. When Liverpool broke their club transfer record to bring Torres to Anfield in 2007, it proved the turning point in his career. Competing in the goldfish bowl of the English Premier League, playing alongside Liverpool heroes like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher and in the company of Spanish teammates Pepe Reina, Xavi Alonso, and Albert Rieira, and performing in front of the Kop who quickly adopted him as one of their own, Torres describes what it means to him to play on one of the greatest stages in world soccer and compares and contrasts life in Spain with his new career in England. Torres also discusses his life out of the spotlight with his childhood sweetheart Olalla, his family and friends, and what inspires and motivates him.Fernando Torrreshas amassed more than 50 caps to date, and has played in two European Championships and one World Cup.