Sport Books of the Year

1. Intensity Inside Liverpool FC TPB

by Pep Lijnders

€16.99 €23.80

Pep is Jürgen Klopp’s right-hand man. Returning to the LFC coaching staff in 2018, the highly-respected Dutchman has been key to everything the Reds have achieved since: a sixth European Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and of course a first Premier League title claimed with a record-breaking 99 points. Liverpool’s blistering brand of football has revived a sleeping giant, energised its vast army of fans, entertained crowds at home and all over the world, and redefined coaching excellence. Now Pep tells the inside story of a season which, even by LFC standards, has been truly sensational. Week by week as the drama unfolds it’s all here: from pre-season to unforgettable finale; great goals and gruelling schedules; passionate team-talks and personal reflections; unsung heroes and Kop idols; the pride and the passion, the joy and the heartache…and the fun. In his own engaging and inspiring style, Pep takes readers behind-the-scenes at Anfield, the AXA Training Ground and the team hotel; on the pitch, in the dugout and back in the dressing-room away from the media glare. In creating a ‘one-club’ mentality, Lijnders, Klopp and co have also created countless modern memories for the LFC family, and this unique book chronicles their legacy. It’s an unprecedented account of a season at an elite football club from one of the game’s most thoughtful students

2. Fight or flight

by Keith Earls

€9.99 €12.60

Irish Sports Book Award 2021 Winner! Fight Or Flight: My Life, My Choices is the autobiography of Irish rugby legend Keith Earls. Keith Earls started out in senior rugby as a teenage star and during the course of his long career has become one of the most admired and respected players of his generation. A British & Irish Lion at the age of 21, he is now closing in on his 34th birthday and still playing at the top of his game. He has won 93 caps for Ireland and played over 180 games in the famous red of Munster. He started every match of the 2018 Six Nations campaign that culminated in an Irish Grand Slam victory. A lethal finisher blessed with a sprinter’s speed, Earls is the second-highest try scorer of all time for his country. With Munster he is one try short of the all-time total and looks set to break that record next season. Yet, Earls has achieved these milestones whilst being racked by private battles with his mental health for most of his career. A number of crises brought him to the brink of voluntary retirement from the game. A native of Limerick city, Earls grew up in one of its most socially disadvantaged housing estates. Moyross was blighted by crime and violence and he did not escape unscathed from the surrounding fear and trauma visited upon his beloved community. His natural talent brought him into the privileged bastion of elite rugby union. His autobiography tells the story of his long struggle to reconcile the world whence he came with the world opened up by his brilliance with an oval ball. Earls has maintained a low profile throughout his career. For the first time he will talk in depth and at length about the inner turmoil that went unseen by team-mates, friends and fans. It is a confessional, intimate and courageous story of the pain that was a constant companion to the glory. Earls says: “It’s not me at all to be doing anything remotely like an autobiography. I don’t like talking about myself, I don’t like bringing attention to myself. And I guess that’s one reason why I am doing it. We’re supposed to get out of our comfort zone. I’ve learned enough along the way to know that much. It’s where your progress and growth happens. I hope if I can share some of my life experiences here, it might inspire others.”

3. Manchester United: Unscripted

by Manchester United

€20.99 €28.00

It's hard to imagine a football club with a better catalogue of stories than Manchester United. The club's rich history has been punctuated by success, tragedy and drama, with an all-star cast wrapped up in a twisting, turning tale. In Manchester United and Me, protagonists tell their own accounts of their unique places in Reds folklore.