Striker!: No. 1 (Steve Barnes S.)

Product Information

Graham Taylor was in charge when Bruce was really in his prime but the defender knew Taylor didn’t rate him. During the early part of his career, Bruce's sometimes over-enthusiastic playing style, which he later described as "rampaging", [12] caused him disciplinary problems. United dominated English football in the 1993–94 season, winning a second consecutive Premier League title and then defeating Chelsea in the FA Cup final to become only the fourth team, and Bruce the first English captain, to win the Double in the 20th century, [63] [64] [65] The 1994–95 season was a disappointing one for Bruce and United, as the club failed in its bid to win a third consecutive Premier League title and lost to Everton in the FA Cup final. The affray left him with facial injuries but did not prevent him from travelling to a Premier League match the same day.

Thus, while Bruce/Barnes remains ‘real’, Deehan has been ‘fictionalised’ (in the book he is known as ‘Jock Durham’. But ahead of his side's trip to Birmingham on Sunday, Bruce exclusively revealed to our reporter Jonathan Oakes that it was indeed him who wrote the books starring Steve Barnes, the manager of fictional club Leddersfield Town who solves crimes in his spare time. Murphy was one of many central midfielders who had their route to the XI blocked by Gerrard and Lampard. Bruce was offered an apprenticeship and went on to play more than 200games for the club before joining Norwich City in 1984, winning the League Cup in 1985.Arthur Cox, manager of Bruce's beloved Newcastle United, expressed an interest in signing the player, but resigned from his job before any further action could be taken. Confident that he was being targeted by clubs from higher divisions, Bruce resolved not to sign a new contract with Gillingham when his existing deal expired at the end of the 1983–84 season. Some of the prose shows Bruce’s nous for witty one-liners, as in this moment when the antagonistic Carberry – spoiler: the actual murderer! Former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick was “like a prophet” for predicting the club needed “open heart surgery”, according to Andy Cole.

He went on to make more than 200appearances for the club, [14] and was twice voted into the Professional Footballers' Association's Third Division Team of the Year. Bruce spent the 1978–79 season in Gillingham's reserve team and, despite playing in defence, scored 18goals to finish the season as top scorer. On 27 May 2009, Bruce was reported to have been given permission to talk to Sunderland about succeeding Ricky Sbragia, who resigned as manager after the last match of the season. It’s heartening to picture Bruce typing these words, then springing from his red leather desk chair, throwing open the doors to his walnut-panelled study, unveiling the manuscript to polite-but-baffled responses from his loved ones. He embodies the ethos of teamwork and the importance of camaraderie in creating a wonderful spirit of togetherness amongst the players and staff".The only thing I will say is that it’s impressive that Bruce managed to pen these novels alongside managing a football club. He contemplated leaving football for a job in television, but was persuaded by Huddersfield Town owner Barry Rubery to become the club's manager. He intended to publish a new autobiography in late 2019 but the book was postponed indefinitely due to the deaths of his parents and his desire to concentrate on his job at Newcastle.

The team managed to climb out of the relegation zone for the first time in nearly six months after a win over Bolton Wanderers in early April 2006. These reservoirs, dotted everywhere in hidden valleys, are themselves fed with water from upland streams.

In his first season as a manager, Bruce guided Sheffield United to eighth place in the First Division, nine points away from a place in the play-offs. Bruce was among five former Premier League players signed by Birmingham manager Trevor Francis to add experience to a squad expected to challenge for promotion.