All for the money - The Secret Footballer

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

NIcky shorey?

http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/

Seems like they stopped updating in september.

I've read about half of those columns now and it certainly seems to me that it's someone with much more illustrious career than Shorey. Not a superstar but certainly someone who has been there and done that. Also, I'm almost 100% positive that he is either midfielder or striker. Most likely attacking midfielder.

I don't think Shorey is right.

I still like the Murphy shout. He would fit the criteria.

[Ted Hughes]

NIcky shorey?

http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/

Seems like they stopped updating in september.

I've read about half of those columns now and it certainly seems to me that it's someone with much more illustrious career than Shorey. Not a superstar but certainly someone who has been there and done that. Also, I'm almost 100% positive that he is either midfielder or striker. Most likely attacking midfielder.

I don't think Shorey is right.

I still like the Murphy shout. He would fit the criteria.

I don't see Murphy as the kind of player who a manager would talk to like that.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

NIcky shorey?

http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/

Seems like they stopped updating in september.

I've read about half of those columns now and it certainly seems to me that it's someone with much more illustrious career than Shorey. Not a superstar but certainly someone who has been there and done that. Also, I'm almost 100% positive that he is either midfielder or striker. Most likely attacking midfielder.

I don't think Shorey is right.

I still like the Murphy shout. He would fit the criteria.

I don't see Murphy as the kind of player who a manager would talk to like that.

Well this mystery footballer mentions that he has played for lot of managers and "some were so bad he'd have staged his death to get out if he could".

Bit of a saturday afternoon puzzle this. This guy is very experienced, intelligent for footballer yet has council estate background (mentions his strong relationship with dad so there goes Barton), is liberal, has played for both poor teams and top team(s), has lot of friends in the game, seems family man to the max. He is English and talks like he has some caps. He is definitely outfield player and most likely midfielder or striker (moans about defenders hanging onto shirts for example and talks about taking free kicks).

Scott Parker came to my mind but Secret Footballer was critical of Fabio last spring and Parker was getting caps. I feel this is either Murphy or Kevin Davies.

[Ted Hughes]

NIcky shorey?

http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/

Seems like they stopped updating in september.

I've read about half of those columns now and it certainly seems to me that it's someone with much more illustrious career than Shorey. Not a superstar but certainly someone who has been there and done that. Also, I'm almost 100% positive that he is either midfielder or striker. Most likely attacking midfielder.

I don't think Shorey is right.

I still like the Murphy shout. He would fit the criteria.

I don't see Murphy as the kind of player who a manager would talk to like that.

Well this mystery footballer mentions that he has played for lot of managers and "some were so bad he'd have staged his death to get out if he could".

Bit of a saturday afternoon puzzle this. This guy is very experienced, intelligent for footballer yet has council estate background (mentions his strong relationship with dad so there goes Barton), is liberal, has played for both poor teams and top team(s), has lot of friends in the game, seems family man to the max. He is English and talks like he has some caps. He is definitely outfield player and most likely midfielder or striker (moans about defenders hanging onto shirts for example and talks about taking free kicks).

Scott Parker came to my mind but Secret Footballer was critical of Fabio last spring and Parker was getting caps. I feel this is either Murphy or Kevin Davies.

'Dad' may have been the name of 'Mr Big' in prison, so could still be Barton.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

our pub debate came up with 2 options

a) david james

b) more than one player, but including david james.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

It's also possible he tosses in the odd story of a team mate just to keep the scent away.

Of its all bullshit, another option.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

It's also possible he tosses in the odd story of a team mate just to keep the scent away.

Of its all bullshit, another option.

definitely must be a player - the guardian would never live it down, even if they'd just got a ghost writer in. my money's on more than one player - danny murphy and david james being 2 of them.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

It's also possible he tosses in the odd story of a team mate just to keep the scent away.

Of its all bullshit, another option.

It's from The Guardian. I see zero chance of it being some bullshit stunt.

Couple of players is interesting theory.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

It's from The Guardian. I see zero chance of it being some bullshit stunt.

Couple of players is interesting theory.

Generous odds, I'd have a fiver on bullshit if you were the bookie.

[Im_Spartacus]

Kevin Nolan?

Jonathan Greening?

[Alioune DVToure]

Sean Davis?

[Ted Hughes]

I've just started reading the series from the start, & as of 22 Jan 2011, he writes:

' There is a very obvious and striking clause in my Premier League contract, one that in the past few months I have taken more and more notice of – not least because of the advent of this column in the Guardian and the subsequent social media commitments such a thing entails.'

Therefore, if we are accepting what said player says as truth, & basing our assumptions on that, then said player is absolutely not David James, as he does not have a Premier League contract.

Elementary.

[ant london]

There is no way it is James for a number of reasons....one of the foremost of which is the fact that he has written quite a frank and non-anonymised column for the Guardian for bloody ages.

He would be the least "secret" of all footballers for this job

[Ted Hughes]

It's Joey Barton.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

There is no way it is James for a number of reasons....one of the foremost of which is the fact that he has written quite a frank and non-anonymised column for the Guardian for bloody ages.

He would be the least "secret" of all footballers for this job

indeed - and the writing is often very much in his style. that's where the theory that it's more than one player comes from - with james actually writing it.

[Ted Hughes]

There is no way it is James for a number of reasons....one of the foremost of which is the fact that he has written quite a frank and non-anonymised column for the Guardian for bloody ages.

He would be the least "secret" of all footballers for this job

indeed - and the writing is often very much in his style. that's where the theory that it's more than one player comes from - with james actually writing it.

I've only read about 4 so far but absolutely everything I've read up to now tallys up exactly with Barton. Even mentioning his ex manager as not being 'the Messiah' he originally thought he was. The Kipling stuff is pure Barton; he has arguments with Piers Morgan on his twitter site & quotes all kinds of stuff & tells everyone which books he's read whilst trying to appear intellectual.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

There is no way it is James for a number of reasons....one of the foremost of which is the fact that he has written quite a frank and non-anonymised column for the Guardian for bloody ages.

He would be the least "secret" of all footballers for this job

indeed - and the writing is often very much in his style. that's where the theory that it's more than one player comes from - with james actually writing it.

I've only read about 4 so far but absolutely everything I've read up to now tallys up exactly with Barton. Even mentioning his ex manager as not being 'the Messiah' he originally thought he was. The Kipling stuff is pure Barton; he has arguments with Piers Morgan on his twitter site & quotes all kinds of stuff & tells everyone which books he's read whilst trying to appear intellectual.

it's not Barton. That I'm certain of. For example he mentions his wife and kids.

[Ted Hughes]

There is no way it is James for a number of reasons....one of the foremost of which is the fact that he has written quite a frank and non-anonymised column for the Guardian for bloody ages.

He would be the least "secret" of all footballers for this job

indeed - and the writing is often very much in his style. that's where the theory that it's more than one player comes from - with james actually writing it.

I've only read about 4 so far but absolutely everything I've read up to now tallys up exactly with Barton. Even mentioning his ex manager as not being 'the Messiah' he originally thought he was. The Kipling stuff is pure Barton; he has arguments with Piers Morgan on his twitter site & quotes all kinds of stuff & tells everyone which books he's read whilst trying to appear intellectual.

it's not Barton. That I'm certain of. For example he mentions his wife and kids.

Deffo 'wife' & more than one kid ? I haven't read that far yet but I know Barton has one kid.

[frozen_pea]

One about local derbies and rivalries:

During one of these games a particularly vicious off-the-ball incident sparked a brawl in the dugouts that, to this day, years after it happened, remains a very touchy subject whenever the coaches and managers meet.

Might help narrow it down if anyone can think of examples of this?

[Grob]

Nicky shorey isn't it