BOOK REVIEWS
A look at the latest offerings
Salah, by Luca Caioli and Cyril Collot, published by Icon Books, Price £7.99. Rating out of 10: 8
MOHAMED Salah has become one of the best-known footballers in the world, so you can understand why authors are tripping over themselves to write about him.
Italian Luca Caioli has already published books on the likes of Messi, Neymar, Pogba and Mbappe, the latter two in conjunction with French journalist Cyril Collot.
Salah was an obvious candidate to join that illustrious list
– the Egyptian ace has become a Liverpool superstar in his first two seasons at the club.
What makes this story compelling is that we find out about his early years. Of course, Liverpool fans will enjoy the material on his recent times with the Reds and supporters will know bits and pieces about his European adventures with Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma in the years before that.
But it’s his beginnings in Egypt that are more of interest, because most of us know so little about them. This is where Caioli and Collot have done well.
They have gone to his hometown Nagrig, they have spoken to the people who live there, they have followed his path from when he started playing to establishing himself in Egyptian football.
In the press release accompanying the book, it says that it’s ‘an accessible and aspirational biography of the record-breaking forward, perfect for readers of all ages’.
While it can be a little heavy at times in terms of Egyptian history, it is aspirational in that it highlights the dedication Salah had to make it.
For example, as a 14-year-old he was making an arduous journey of four to four-and-a-half hours a day there and back to training – five days a week!
“It was a tough, very tough life for a fourteen year old. But as he would say years later: ‘You don’t get anything without giving something. And I’ve always been capable of making lots of sacrifices for football.’”
It also shows his ambition and hunger to fulfil his dreams. Like when he was at Basel, his starting point in Europe, and wanted to know if bigger clubs were putting in offers for him.
The book is well-rounded. There are lots of interviews with people who have played a part in his career and it also covers the wider issues.
“Beyond Egypt, things are different, but the importance of Salah as a positive role model still holds true. In the West, where populism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and fear of the Other prevail, where government policies create a hostile environment for refugees, immigrants and Arabs labelled as villains or terrorists, Salah, a North African Muslim, is winning hearts.”
-John Lyons
One in a Million – Trevor Francis, The autobiography with Keith Dixon, published by Pitch Publishing, Price £19.99. Rating out of 10: 7
IF ANYONE is entitled to write their autobiography, then Trevor Francis is surely that man. What an amazing career he had, starting out as a 16-year-old with Birmingham City. He then became English football’s first £1m player when the Blues sold him to Nottingham Forest in 1979.
He scored the winner as Forest won the European Cup just a few months later and played under the legendary Brian Clough. He wore the colours of Manchester City, QPR and Sheffield
Wednesday and played in Italy, Scotland and the USA. He earned 52 caps for England.
He also managed QPR, Wednesday, Birmingham and Crystal Palace. Phew, that’s some career – and plenty to write about.
This book sticks with the traditional chronological order to take us through Francis’ career and is an entertaining read. Francis has worked alongside Keith Dixon, a regular Late Tackle contributor, to put his life down on the page and there are lots of interesting anecdotes and stories.
For example, Francis tells how former Birmingham team-mate Kenny Burns, who he later played with at Forest, used to try to cut him in two with his tackles in training – ‘and he succeeded on a few occasions’.
He explains how furious Birmingham City managing director Karren Brady was when he told her that he had accepted a fee of £600,000 from West Brom for her husband, Paul Peschisolido.
“She used crude abusive language which shocked me. I was taken aback to say the least!”
He explains how he felt let down by England manager Bobby Robson over his World Cup omission in 1986 and how Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan influenced his team selections.
Yes, there are controversies and rows, but this book is a lot more than that. It’s about a fantastic career in football and Francis, who dedicates the book to his late wife Helen, is grateful for what it’s given him.
In the introduction, he says: “Prior to my involvement on this book, I had been approached, on two previous occasions, about writing my autobiography. I rejected both offers because I wanted to make my book an honest testimony to my career and life. This meant that I had to write it after my involvement in football had ended so that I could tell it like it was.”
He’s succeeded on that score.
-John Lyons