The Secret Footballer

[Stu Monty]

I'm trying to come up with ideas for who this guy might be. For those who don't know The Guardian have an anonymous footballer that writes columns for them, and also has a twitter feed. He made some comment today about United which clearly showed he hadn't played for them. I was thinking that slowly, over a period of weeks the great minds of the ff (stop laughing at the back) could narrow down the options on who it might be. The fact that he's bright enough to contruct sentences surely means we're working with about 5% of the players in the league to start?

 

Any suggestions on who it might be? Current player obviously, and one that's not too young as he's said "A few years ago..." plenty of times.

 

Suggestions on The Football Ramble that it might be Kevin Davies.

[Deepz]

I reckon its David James

[Joe Le Taxi]

Clark Carlisle?

[cosmo]

I reckon its David James

 

I thought that originally but in his latest column he makes it sound like he's an outfield player

[Rush 346]

Thought this had been confirmed as David James, he always has plenty to say for himself

[Stu Monty]

Apparently it can't be Clark Carlisle as he mentioned his current Premier League deal in a column this season. The best suggestions I have seen elsewhere are Davies, Parker and Murphy. Although having read it, and having seen Murphy speak on the tv, I think it's too eloquent for it to be him.

[Pidge]

Would Lampard be a shock. Intelligent guy, articulate, was injured when this all started (iirc).

[Stu Monty]

I've just seen Simon Davies mentioned on another forum.

[cosmo]

Would Lampard be a shock. Intelligent guy, articulate, was injured when this all started (iirc).

 

He mentions his wife in his latest column so don't think its Lampard, unless he is putting deliberate misinformation in.

[Pidge]

Ah right, I've only read a couple so wouldn't have picked up on that.

[Rush 346]

Apparently it can't be Clark Carlisle as he mentioned his current Premier League deal in a column this season. The best suggestions I have seen elsewhere are Davies, Parker and Murphy. Although having read it, and having seen Murphy speak on the tv, I think it's too eloquent for it to be him.

 

Assuming they actually write it!!

[TheHitman]

"I once won a free-kick playing at Old Trafford and a Manchester United player brought the ball over to the spot where it was to be taken from and handed it to the referee."

 

"I always wanted to be a footballer, I went to the games with my dad and heard all the swearing. I still grew up to be a footballer and, may I say, a fairly well-adjusted one, and that is because of my upbringing and the values that were instilled in me. My dad preferred to scholar me on the game rather than stick a finger up at the opposition's striker after he scored. Because of this I learned more from him than just how to play football; I learned the true meaning of respect."

 

Well I would say this would allow people to narrow it down a bit, you could work out who has won pens at old trafford. From the 98/99 season up till the end of the 07/08 season there were 8 pens at old trafford awarded.

 

Also does the second statement imply his dad played football professionally?. If so and he has acknowledged he has been playing at the highest level for some time it narrows it down further.

 

Lampard, Owen, Gudjohnson have footballing fathers and have played for many years.

[Pidge]

Also does the second statement imply his dad played football professionally?

 

I don't think so, just implies his dad wasn't a yammering, pejorative hurling moron.

[Welsh]

Never heard of this secret footballer, do his articles show the darker side of football and that is why he wants to remain anonymous?

[Stu Monty]

Never heard of this secret footballer, do his articles show the darker side of football and that is why he wants to remain anonymous?

 

The Secret Footballer: Respect? I remember that time at Old Trafford … | Football | The Guardian

 

It just allows him to be a bit more honest. Some of the stuff about things that have gone on in dressing rooms or about contract negotiations are quite interesting and he seems a pretty balanced guy.

 

He calls England "us" so he's English. He also talks about a French clique at a club, which would ring true for Fulham, Liverpool and a few other clubs over the past few years.

[john23liverpool]

"I once won a free-kick playing at Old Trafford and a Manchester United player brought the ball over to the spot where it was to be taken from and handed it to the referee."

 

 

Well I would say this would allow people to narrow it down a bit, you could work out who has won pens at old trafford. From the 98/99 season up till the end of the 07/08 season there were 8 pens at old trafford awarded.

 

 

Doesn't he say he won a free-kick though, not a pen?

[Deepz]

These are the clues as compiled by someone on the football ramble forum

 

1) He’s moved clubs a few times, but stayed in the Premier League, and has a good agent that he trusts and he knows is loyal to him. ( Not Pini Zahavi, Jorge Mendez or any of the big agencies, )

2) Played for a very technically prepared coach ( Mourinho, Benitez, Hodgson,O’niell??)

3) is a deep thinker and knows how the footballing system works ( B- Essou-Ekottu, Lamps, Parker, Murphy, K Davies )

4) comment re manger playing wrong tactics, making team look bad ( I think Blackburn/Bolton/Newcastle under Allardyce, Avram Grant at West Ham/Chelsea, sanchez at Fulham, Dowie at charlton,)

5) has been at a club where the manager has lost the dressing room.

6) has played under what he called a great manager, as well as 1/2 crap ones.

7) Played for a manager who wanted to be “one of the boys”—- Steve McClaren, ( any others?? )

8) Became disillusioned with great manager who started asking him questions regards management.

 

He's a current PL player

 

Interestingly he's tweeted this

 

Peter Crouch, Danny Murphy or Scott Parker?

[TheHitman]

Doesn't he say he won a free-kick though, not a pen?

 

Silly me, I misread it totally.

[macc]

French influence ? chelsea.

 

Anelka/Malouda and a lot of their African players have come via France...

[mr mac]

Convinced its Danny Murphy. Ticks all the boxes

[shouter]

Its defo Murphy. Hes desperate to be the next big media guru after that stupid fuckin talk he give. Pluss just before he left liverpool rafa said he wanted to break the cliques up so that also rings true.

[Wor Horse]

Yeah looks like it's Danny Murphy.

[Lucky Pierre]

Who's the great manager?

[overthe]

Thinking of Murphy...

 

The comments about losing respect for a manager after being asked about managerial decisions strikes a chord with what Carra or Gerrard have said about Houllier towards the end.

 

Manager wanting to be one of the lads could be Roy Evans (assuming he was about then).

[JBarnes]

Who's the great manager?

 

Woy?