The Goodison Gazza

"I'm surprised I'm still alive" - Billy Kenny. In this frank memoir, The Goodison Gazza, Billy Kenny - described by The Guardian as "the No1 lost talent in football" - opens up about his colourful life in a way he never has before.

Back in 1992, Kenny earned the title of "man of the match" in his first Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool. He was being heralded as a boy wonder of the beautiful game, a once-in-a-generation talent. The same would be said of fellow teen Evertonian Wayne Rooney nearly a decade later. But while Wayne navigated the pressure of fame to carve out a successful career (not without a few setbacks), Kenny was not so lucky. In this frank memoir, The Goodison Gazza, Kenny - described by The Guardian as "the No1 lost talent in football" - opens up about his colourful life in a way he never has before. Raised in a deprived part of Liverpool, he had been grifting since he was a child and almost missed out on his big break after being caught stealing a goat from gypsies. So when his footballing career took off, he was desperate to make it a success. However, post-match drinks with teammates soon led to cocaine-fuelled benders with his "million new mates" - and, after an injury left him needing an operation, his self-destructive behaviour only got worse. He stole a teammate's car for a joyride, gave match tickets to touts, went boozing with Gazza and fought with Vinnie Jones. In 1994 he was sacked by Everton for professional misconduct, then axed by Oldham Athletic a year later. He spent the following two decades at rock bottom, strung out on drugs, suffering depression, serving time behind bars, and - for one particularly bad year - even going on the run from police in Spain. The worst came when he tried to take his own life - and very nearly succeeded; a story he is sharing for the first time in this powerful no-holds-barred mea cupla of memoir.