Fighting Spirit : The Autobiography of Fernando Ricksen

Fernando Ricksen was a fighter.

As a footballer, Ricksen carved out a fearsome reputation for Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and Holland. Throughout his time at Ibrox, his aggressive approach won him hero status among the Rangers fans, and off the field he was just as dynamic a force, finding himself on the front page as often as in the sports section.

After leaving the club in 2006 and signing for Zenit St Petersburg, he went on to defeat his former teammates in the final of the 2008 UEFA Cup and established as wild a reputation in Russia as he had in Glasgow.

Ricksen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2013, and here his extraordinary life story is chronicled, along with his 6 year battle with the disease. Fighting Spirit details his wild experiences both on and off the field, in a rollercoaster journey of football, alcohol, drugs, sex, violence and corruption.

Fernando Ricksen was born in Hoensbroek in1976 and played professional football for Fortuna Sittard, AZ Alkmaar, Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg as well as gaining international honours for the Netherlands. He lived in Maaseik, Belgium, with his wife Veronika and their daughter Isabella.

Vincent de Vries is a senior sportswriter from the Netherlands. He is a freelance journalist for Panorama, ELF Voetbal, Helden Magazine, Life After Football, Men's Health, Quote and the Dutch Soccer Federation (KNVB) among many other publications.