Theatre of Dreams: Playing, Managing and Everything in Between - My Autobiography

Steve Bruce was already a seasoned centre-half when Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for Manchester United in 1987. He spent nine seasons at United in a period that sparked the club's dominance of English football, and he has a great many fascinating things to say about that phase of his career. Forming the bed-rock of the United chapters are insights and stories galore that speak to the character, training methods and man-management techniques of Ferguson and the culture of success he created within the football club, giving United fans an unparalleled assessment of life at Old Trafford at that time. Bruce also liberally sprinkles his autobiography with honest and insightful portraits of many of his legendary team-mates: from Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside and Denis Irwin, to Peter Schmeichel, Eric Cantona, Paul Ince and Roy Keane, to Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. Of course, Bruce is now a manager with seven clubs, and 800 matches, to his name. In his later chapters he provides an intriguing assessment of the changing face of the football management. He discuss interesting topics such as: scouting; training methods and facilities; salaries and contracts; transfers and the transfer window; playing styles; the media; fans' expectations; incessant pressure; the threat of relegation; the influx of foreign players; player power; agents; boardroom politics; the England team. It all adds up to one of the most thoughtful and stimulating football books for years.