Martin O’Neill is one of the most fascinating and respected figures in football. On Days Like These tells the story of his remarkable career.
For the first time, Martin O’Neill reflects on one of the most varied and successful football careers in the British Isles. He made his breakthrough playing for Lisburn Distillery in Northern Ireland and won the Irish Cup, before moving to England where he became a key part of Brian Clough’s legendary Nottingham Forest team. Under the charismatic and controversial Clough, O’Neill was one of the few players who made the epic journey from the second division to the glory years: winning the First Division championship, two League Cups and back-to-back European Cups. O’Neill also represented Northern Ireland over sixty times, playing alongside George Best and captaining the side at the 1982 World Cup, where their spectacular run saw them reach the quarter-finals.
As a manager, O’Neill’s celebrated leadership of Celtic saw them win seven trophies, including three Scottish Premier League titles; and in England he successfully led Leicester City to two League Cups and Aston Villa to an unprecedented three consecutive top six finishes in the Premier League. With Roy Keane as his assistant manager, he oversaw the Republic of Ireland reaching the Euros in 2016, when they made it to the second round for the first time in their history.
With a career spanning over fifty years, Martin tells of his exhilarating highs and some painful lows; from the joys of winning trophies, promotion and fighting for World Cups to being harangued by your own fans, boardroom drama, relegation scraps and being fired. Written with his trademark honesty and humour, On Days Like These is one of the most insightful and captivating sports autobiographies and a must-read for any fans of the beautiful game.
