Two Irish giants coming together to translate the spoken word into an autobiography should end up with something great. Keane was a superb footballer playing at the highest level for 12 years at Manchester United. Roddy Doyle is an outstanding literary talent. Together footballing patois could have been made into gold dust. They failed.

Try this:

“We beat Ipswich 1-0…Then we beat Sheffield Wednesday away, 4-2.” p158 This led to a shrug of the shoulders and, ‘So what?’ by this reader.

But then this:

“When you’re physically in trouble, it plays on your mind….I still look back and wonder if I could have played for another year or two. ‘Did I make the right decision?’

My wife reminds me, ‘Roy, do you not remember ? You couldn’t even get out of your car?’” p1

Roy played through numerous significant injuries “I was taking painkillers before every match. An injection in the bum…. The cause of the pain was a laberal tear of the hip.”  p158 He was a warrior and played through injuries making them worse, much worse. Many spectators say footballers ‘feign’ injury. They are missing the point: most footballers play whilst injured! His searing honesty rises above the deadening prose.

This is for fans. Doyle writes like a journeyman in it for the pay-day, which disappointed. My expectations were dashed into a thousand pieces.