I Only Wanted to Play Football

Many of today's footballers live their lives like Hollywood film stars. The story of Eamonn O'Keefe's life could be the script of a Hollywood film but there would be only one problem-nobody would believe it was a true story! I can assure you it is. You couldn't make it up if you tried! -Howard Wilkinson, Ex-England Manager and current Chairman of the League Managers Association. - I first met Eamonn when we played together for the Republic of Ireland. His football exploits around the world were common knowledge within football circles-but were not well-documented publicly. It should be a great read!-Good luck with it, Eamonn. - Frank Stapleton, former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland International player. I grew up in Blackley, North Manchester in England, in a family of nine. There was Gran, Mam, Dad and six children. Fifty years later, I am unsure how we all managed to fit into the three-bedroom house where we lived. I recall the struggles - and the hilarity - that we all experienced on a day-to-day basis, and remember how I worked toward my ultimate dream of becoming a successful professional footballer. Eamonn O'Keefe recalls, in his humorous memoir ...I Only Wanted to Play Football, how he played the game at non-league, league and international level in England, Ireland and Saudi Arabia, moving from club to club. His many incidents included an arrest in Blackpool, when a practical joke backfired, and he spent a day's interrogation under suspicion of being an IRA terrorist. I was delighted, at the age of 22, to be the first European ever to be signed to play for the Al Hilal Football Club in Saudi Arabia. But when the Prince, who was then president of the club, told me that he was in love with me, I was even more delighted to leave - and it became necessary for me to flee Saudi and return to the safety of England! First-time author Eamonn O'Keefe was born in 1953 in Manchester, England, and played football professionally during the 1970s and 1980s. With the encouragement of his wife, Lorna, he finally penned his memoirs. The author is retired and now resides in Portugal. Publisher's website: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/IOnlyWantedToPlayFootball.html Author's website: http://www.eamonnokeefe.com