Reviews

'McManaman's new book offers a first-hand of his time in Spain, and how, as a 'Galactico', he was instrumental in helping the club become arguably the best in the world.' Big Issue in the North 06/09 'For a fresher and fizzier portrait of Beckham's arrival in Madrid, it would be hard to beat EL MACCA ... McManaman has always been an entertaining chronicler of the life he leads in football and his co-writer Sarah Edworthy has managed to fill the book with the sort of endearing detail that will beguile football buffs.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Steve McManaman's four years with Real Madrid, told by Sarah Edworthy in the presence of the subject and with his words used liberally but judiciously, deserves to father a genre' The Sunday Telegraph 10/10/04 'There is little doubt that EL MACCA ... will turn out to be one of the best of this year's crop of football biographies. It is well written, consistently interesting and nicely structured ... Edworthy has an obvious rapport with McManaman and his wife, Victoria, and this lends it more humanity than the average football biography' DAILY TELEGRAPH 2/10/04 'Steve McManaman lifts the lid on his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid, where he earned the adoration of fans and the respect of some of the world's greatest players' Cut 21/10/04 'An engrossing account of how, during his time with Spanish giants Real Madrid, McManaman became the most decorated English footballer of the new millennium ... El Macca is not an autobiography, and it is a richer read for that ... although it preserves the strengths of the first-person account in that McManaman's voice -- independent, sharp and dry -- is heard at length while much of the narrative passes to the sensitive pen of Sarah Edworthy. It gains its depth for Edworthy having interviewed exhaustively around its subjects' Ian Hawkey, SUNDAY TIMES 'This is an autobiographical collaboration of unusual quality. McManaman was in and out of the team but highly regarded during his 4 year stint at Real Madrid. It was a period which saw an unparalled attempt to build the greatest club team in history. McManaman is a good witness; his wife, Victoria, who is a lawyer, is a second valuable observer; and the wordsmith, Sarah Edworthy, weaves it all together quite brilliantly' SUNDAY TIMES Books of the Year Sport, Simon O'Hagan 'David Beckham, and his move to Real Madrid in 2003 has inspired no fewer than 3 titles centred on Spanish football...But over and above all these titles I am inclined to recommend the Steve McManaman autobiography El Macca if you really want to know what Spanish football is like on the inside' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY Football, Glen Moore 'Ghosting can be a thankless task but one shadow was allowed to make an imprint this year. In El Macca Sarah Edworthy adds her own voice to Steve McManaman's description of his spell at Real Madrid' INDEPENDENT Sport by Ian Stafford 'El Macca is a fascinating account by Steve McManaman and Sarah Edworthy of McManaman's four years at Real Madrid, featuring huge success and the starry case of players augmented by David Beckham. Intelligent, insightful and a fresh approach to biography' DAILY MAIL 'El Macca, a recent book written with the Journalist Sarah Edworthy charts his four years and Real Madrid...finely crafted and impeccably researched' Paul Kimmage, The Sunday Times 19/12 El Macca is a fascinating account by Steve McManaman and Sarah Edworthy of McManaman's four years at Real Madrid, featuring huge success and the starry cast of players augmented by David Beckham. Intelligent, insightful and a fresh approach to sports biography. Daily Mail 17/12 'Excellent ... EL MACCA, a work of the highest merit, brings performer and writer together in perfect unison. It is the year's most innovative offering' Paul Hayward, DAILY TELEGRAPH 'England's most enigmatic and, arguably talented player of recent times has driven managers to distraction, so it is interesting to read his take on a career that includes two European Cup wins, but only intermittent international appearances'. Observer Sports Monthly