I read this book to find out more about Roy Keane, fiery Irish midfielder for my favorite footballers, Manchester United. It was a fairly quick read, not really going into any depth on most of his life. The main emphasis was on some of the events that had made him a somewhat notorious public figure in England.
Being a new fan of the English Premier League, a lot of the events were unfamiliar to me. In each of them, Keane is portrayed - of course! - as being a victim of circumstance because of his inability to put up with bullsh*t. Whether you buy that or not, it is interesting to see how he came to find himself dismissed from the Irish squad for World Cup 2002 (which I remember hearing about) or getting set up for tabloid fodder by a couple of conniving women.
What is perhaps most ironic of all about this book is that the blurbs all compliment the candor with which Keane writes... and then a new added chapter shows that one of the most controversial passages about a run-in on the pitch with another player was forcibly censored by the English Football Association.
Funniest thing about the whole book: several times Keane says something along the lines of "Gary Neville was born an adult" and "Gary Neville was never a child." If you've ever seen G. Neville play, it totally fits.
As for recommending it to read, only if you're a real fan. Might bore the socks off you otherwise. Good insight on some of the greats that Keane played with such as Eric Cantona and Steve Bruce, and it has some great pictures. My personal favorite is the infamous Bruce Lee move executed by Cantona on a hapless fan in the stands.
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