{"product_id":"my-story-the-greatest-footballer-that-never-was","title":"Sonny Pike: My Story [2021] hardback","description":"Imagine being so good at football that your legs get insured for a million\u003cbr\u003epounds - at the age of 11.\u003cbr\u003eIn the 1990s, Sonny Pike had it all. A glittering future in the professional game\u003cbr\u003ebeckoned. Dutch 'Total Football' giants Ajax swooped and flash soccer agent Eric\u003cbr\u003eHall signed him up. Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Paul Smith queued up to sponsor\u003cbr\u003ehim. He appeared on TV shows like Fantasy Football and Blue Peter, featured in\u003cbr\u003eHello Magazine and even had his own rap song. Billed as English football's 'next\u003cbr\u003eDiego Maradona', everyone loved the baby-faced young superstar.\u003cbr\u003eAnd then, through no fault of his own, it was all taken from him.\u003cbr\u003eControversially banned from football, the spotlight faded. Agents turned their\u003cbr\u003ebacks. Sponsors withdrew their deals. TV and the media moved on. Even his dad\u003cbr\u003edisappeared off the scene. Lost and desperate, Sonny searched for an answer,\u003cbr\u003edabbling in crime, landing in court and even behind bars. The promise of fame\u003cbr\u003eand fortune had turned to nothing and there seemed no way back . . .\u003cbr\u003eSonny Pike: The Greatest Footballer That Never Was is a remarkable tale of\u003cbr\u003eexploitation and reckless ambition, exposing the worst side of our game in an\u003cbr\u003eera when it was evolving in to the multi-million pound industry we know today.\u003cbr\u003eSonny's story is captivating, at times harrowing, but ultimately inspirational. As\u003cbr\u003ethousands of young footballers dream of football stardom, it is more relevant\u003cbr\u003enow than ever","brand":"Pike, Sonny","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46553122406739,"sku":"9781911613282","price":16.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4001\/6057\/files\/pike-sonny-my-story-the-greatest-footballer-that-never-was-9781911613282-50524106621267.jpg?v=1682536846","url":"https:\/\/theirishbookshop.live\/products\/my-story-the-greatest-footballer-that-never-was","provider":"Chapters Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}