Addicted

Adams writes what it's like playing with the best players in the game, from Gazza to Dennis Bergkamp; and working with some of the most successful managers, including George Graham, Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Arsene Wenger. But above all, his story is that of a winner, a man who has brought the intense determination he has shown on the field to his recovery from illnesses off it. Adams recalls openly his descent into alcohol addiction, which at one point saw him jailed for drink-driving. Just as he was finding his feet again after the slow rehabilitation process, problems with his marriage surfaced and soon after Adams found himself heading for a divorce. He talks honestly about that traumatic period in his life and also about the pressures and demands of being a top-class footballer in the modern era.

Tony Adams was born in 1966 in Romford, Essex. He signed for Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1980. At just 17 years and 28 days, he made his Arsenal debut, the second-youngest player ever. His full England debut came in 1987, when he also became club captain. He has won three League Championship medals, an FA Cup and European Cup-Winner's Cup medal, captained his country, and was three times Arsenal Player of the Year. Ian Ridley is football correspondent of the Observer, having previously written for the Independent on Sunday. He is the author of Cantona: The Red and the Black and Tales from the Boot Camps with Steve Claridge.