Who Is The Secret Footballer?

When we began to look for clues to work out the identity of The Secret Footballer it didn’t take long for Paul Konchesky’s name to rise near top of the list. He fitted many of the clues including being a Premiership footballer in 2011. It’s today been revealed in an article on the BBC Sport website that Paul Konchesky is the secret to West Ham women’s continued upward trajectory since finishing sixth in the WSL 2021-2022 season.

A lifelong West Ham fan who has always had a strong female presence in football via support from his mum, you can read more about Konchesky and his influence on West Ham women’s team here.

The Secret Footballer wants to come out, but he’s worried about the implications. We all want official confirmation of his identity, but not at a heavy price to him. So much insight and entertainment provided over the years.

In an interview with Colin Murray on the BBC, he said, “Everyone wants to out me but only I’m going to do that. The issue would be a legal one and I would probably have to bankrupt myself in order to survive. You have to prepare for the worst and, while there are no names in the books, there’s a lot of money in football and a lot of people with a lot of money. They don’t even have to be proved right they just have to put a case on.”

One of the most prominent clues as to the identity of the Secret Footballer is the claim that TSF was relegated on the final day of the season. We know that it is possible a red herring, but most take it as truth. TSF did face heartache on the last day of a season, and that narrows it down.

To be frank, final days are usually dull in the Premier League – unremarkable. We all remember Martin Tyler’s “Agueroooo” moment. While it might not be enough to put Tyler in the company of the most iconic sports commentators of all time, it certainly one of the most iconic moments in sports.

Nevertheless, Man City’s last gasp title win was a rare example of drama at the top of the table on the final day. It’s the bottom end of the table – where TSF seemed to be most at home – that has provided the most emotion. Sky calls it “Survival Sunday” when relegation is on the line.

Great drama on final day of 2007/08 season

Most hunters for the identity of the TSF look to Survival Sunday of the 2007/08 season as fulfilling the main clues. It fulfils the main clue of a team being relegated on the last day (only six final day relegation battles have occurred since the 2003/04 season), and it arguably fulfils a minor clue on the checklist – a goal going in at the other end of the country to seal that relegation.

Four teams were in jeopardy that day – Fulham, Birmingham, Bolton and Reading. Of the quartet, it was Birmingham and Reading that went down, joining Derby County who had set the lowest points record and were doomed long before the final day.

Both Birmingham and Reading won on that final day, with the Blues hammering Blackburn 4-1 and Reading gunning down Derby 4-0 at Pride Park. By default, that fulfils the minor clue – being relegated by a goal going in “at the other end of the country”.

Last-minute equalizer for Bolton

Fulham beat Portsmouth 1-0 at Fratton Park to stay up, whereas Bolton got a last-minute equalizer at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Given West London’s more central proximity, it is the Fulham game at Portsmouth on the south coast that is more indicative of being “at the other end of the country”. Of course, the TSF could be speaking very loosely.

Nonetheless, it suggests – if this is the final day relegation TSF is talking about – that TSF was either a Birmingham or Reading player on Sunday 11^th May 2008. Of the eight leading candidates for the TSF’s identity, two got relegated on that Survival Sunday, both of whom played for Reading.

We are, of course, talking about Dave Kitson – who scored against Derby in the 4-0 win – and Nicky Shorey. Both players also fulfil another couple of clues related to the final day relegation. First, that this would be the final game for the club in question (Reading) and that they would play Premier League football again.

Kitson and Shorey match the criteria

Kitson signed for Stoke after Reading got relegated, and he played two more seasons in the Premier League for the Potters. Shorey went to Aston Villa, and he would later see Premier League action for Fulham, West Brom and when briefly returning to Reading. Both candidates, then, fulfil those clues.

As for matching up other clues, you can make decent arguments for both Kitson and Shorey, but the information is a little more speculative. In 2012, TSF claimed that he was “not getting very far in football” at this time.

Back then, Shorey was playing for West Brom in the Premier League (the Baggies finished a respectable 10^th, with Shorey making 25 appearances). Kitson was playing for Portsmouth in the Championship. He only managed four goals in 33 appearances, and Portsmouth were subsequently relegated to League One. It seems like it was Kitson, then, who was “not getting very far in football”.

Does that mean Dave Kitson is TSF? We will leave that up to you. There are many, many other intriguing clues, and you also have to factor in that there can be some red herrings. Moreover, it’s not guaranteed that TSF was speaking of the final day of the 2007/08 season. But you have to admit, the facts we have laid out do match up with Kitson on Survival Sunday, 11^th May 2008.

The Secret Footballer is an unknown sportswriter who reveals in-depth knowledge about the behind-the-scenes action regarding worldwide football. Alongside publishing numerous soccer-based books, the man behind the curtain is also a frequent writer for The Guardian and a variety of other top-level news media campaigns.

As a result of the great success experienced by The Secret Footballer off the field, the growing mystery behind his identity continues to keep fans guessing. We wouldn’t be surprised if top bookmakers such as https://all-bets.com/offer/bet365 would have odds listed on who this person is.

So that’s where this website comes in! Who Is The Secret Footballer? is a website dedicated to all things surrounding The Secret Footballer.

Not only does our site keep tabs on the paradoxical publisher’s books, but we also strive to keep you in-the-know concerning all clues which might reveal this man’s secret identity. So, feel free to comb through the page and reduce from the plethora of provided information who this anonymous writer might be.

Alternatively, you can read on and join the most current discussion about the man behind The Secret Footballer’s mask.

Read on!

As published by London’s Daily Mirror, many football fans believe Dave Kitson to be the anonymous author and the actual “Secret Footballer.” However, the past striker for both Reading and Stoke City has yet to confirm these allegations.

What’s more, when reviewing the evidence surrounding Kitson as the anonymous writer, too many discrepancies exist for this concealed character to be a single individual. Of course, The Secret Footballer has been smart enough to remain undercover over the years. So, perhaps this enigmatic writer purposely peppered his works with false leads and dead ends– making the pursuit of this secret scribe one big wild goose chase.

In any event, let’s take a look at England’s former striker, David Barry Kitson, both on and off the field.

Perhaps by digging up some dirt on Hitchin’s hometown pro, we’ll get that much closer to the truth behind the wily wordsmith that is The Secret Footballer.

A Closer Look At The Secret Footballer

After reviewing the literature released by The Secret Footballer, highlighting important stories and events from his books, and viewing various interviews from the covert character, here is a list of some telling clues about the classified chronicler:

Basic pedigree

1. For starters, we know The Secret Footballer is English, married, and a parent of one — a daughter.

Professional associates

2. We also know that the private “poet” played for several different managers (four to be exact), with two of the managers operating within Premier League clubs.

Additionally, one of the managers played under by the mysterious author let his dressing room get out of hand.

Does he play well with others? 

3. Another telling sign of The Secret Footballer’s true identity has to do with his interpersonal relationships with players, managers, and teams throughout the sport. For instance, we know The Secret Footballer hates Chelsea. In fact, he even came to blows with the team’s successful, albeit former captain John Terry. 

Furthermore, he’s a fan of the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and holds a high opinion of the manager, and former player, Henry James Redknapp. Plus, it’s well known the clandestine personage has a friend in an African player fielded by a Russian team. And, to say nothing of his former roommate that had a gambling problem wouldn’t be fair. 

By the same token, we know The Secret Footballer played with a fussy forward who refused to run and a team that had money problems. Not to mention, the private perpetrator played for a lower league team early on in his professional career and earned Player of the Season two years in a row.

Does he stay in one place?

4. Another way we might deduce who the secret man is behind so many insightful backstage stories is by noting the moves throughout his career. First, we know The Secret Footballer had ties to a deadline-day transfer. Second, we know football’s mystery man couldn’t have played for Arsenal or Man City at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season. Third, the private player attended trials at Millwall. Fourth, The Secret Footballer experienced relegation and re-signing by a Premier League club in the subsequent season.

Personality is important

5. Finally, let’s take a look at the overall character of The Secret Footballer. To begin with, The Secret Footballer holds an expert’s opinion about the game and may have even commentated during league play. Finally, alongside receiving a red card at Old Trafford, we know from his excitable antics and feisty field stories that The Secret Footballer isn’t exactly a player who followed all the rules.

Given these points, it’s not hard to see why Kitson receives so much press as the unofficial “secret footballer.” Together with a nearly identical career history to that recounted in his books, after watching his interviews and recognizing the similarity in tone to The Secret Footballer, accepting Kitson as the player in hiding isn’t too big a stretch of the imagination.

In The Long Run

The time-honored tale behind footy’s mystery man goes unresolved. While fans can speculate until they’re as mad as a meat axe, there’s no point in getting worked up without the facts.

On the other hand, if you want to comb through endless lists of candidates, Who Is The Secret Footballer? can help you there. Maybe you will be the whistleblower and bring an end to this player’s deception. Just don’t forget — however vexing this player’s charade may be to many, the discerning and enjoyable authorship behind books like How to Win: Lessons from the Premier League and The Secret Footballer’s Guide to the Modern Game are testaments of a widely-liked body of literature.

TSF’s new book is finally out! And there is nowhere you’ll get it cheaper than via this link – including free postage and packing.

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The Secret Footballer gives us a no-holds-barred tour of the country’s Premier League clubs – telling us what it’s like to play in each ground and revealing the one that all players really hate to go to.

He gives us an entertaining glimpse into a world that’s normally off-limits to the fans. Unapologetically opinionated, witty and honest, Access All Areas is every thinking fan’s guide to the beautiful game.

The Secret Footballer says that all bets from here on in are off!

Buy The Secret Footballer: Access All Areas today!

With Harry Redknapp’s comments today about 2 or 3 Spurs players not wanting to turn up for England when he was manager, we now have a new guessing game regarding secret footballers.

This guessing game should be a touch easier though as we have a pool of just 12 to choose from: Darren Bent, David Bentley, Peter Crouch, Michael Dawson, Jermain Defoe, Jermain Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, Ledley King, Aaron Lennon, Scott Parker, Kyle Walker and Jonathan Woodgate are the 12 players to have been in and around the England setup during Redknapp’s Spurs tenure. Interestingly six of them have been candidates for THE Secret Footballer.

Hodgson responded by saying he could “imagine ‘a player’ with an educated guess”, but that he couldn’t name many Tottenham players to whom this could apply and certainly none of the ones he has worked with.

You’d have to suspect the educated guess Hodgson is talking about is David Bentley given the direction his career took, ultimately leading to his premature retirement having ‘fallen out of love’ with the game.

What do people think? Who are the most likely of these ‘new secret footballers’ Harry speaks of that have been reluctant to represent England? Pick your 2-3 from the 12 above.

Who knows, with a call from Steven Gerrard for Redknapp to name these players we may actually find the answer to these ones!

Is The Secret Footballer a left back? If so he’ll be particularly interested in the World Cup so far. The 2006 World Cup kicked off with a screamer from German left back Phillip Lahm on home soil and after the completion of each of the first round of matches in this World Cup there’s been a much higher than usual focus around the left backs:

Original World Cup in Brazil Poster by Smabs Sputzer, licensed under CC BY 2.0

• In the very first match Brazil’s Marcelo scored the opening goal of this year’s world cup, albeit in his own net.
• The second game then brought Mexico’s Miguel Layun who became a contender for man of the match with wave after wave of attack from left back.
• The first big shock saw Holland’s Daley Blind, Danny’s son, produce an incredible performance in providing both the perfect assist for the flying Dutchman, Robin Van Persie’s equaliser and then again for the second goal. It was also Blind who made the crucial block when Torres looked certain to score as Holland produced the biggest surprise of the opening matches.
• Then there was the unforgettable Pablo Armero of Columbia. A goal, an assist and a leading role in the celebratory team dancing from the man who spent the second half of last season at West Ham gave us another memorable left back.
• As with Marcelo England’s Leighton Baines’ performance was scrutinised for the wrong reasons. Whether due to personnel in front or not it was Baines who was picked out by most as the man who looked most vulnerable in defeat as Italy piled up their attacks against him down their right hand flank.
• Ivory Coast’s Arthur Boka had a blistering first half with as many efforts on goal as the Ivorian strikers combined. Unfortunately he then had to go off injured in second half.
• Then came Switzerland’s Ricardo Rodriguez. Hotly tipped by pundits before the tournament started, he did not disappoint. The marauding Swiss full back set up both the goals in his team’s win. It should have been a hattrick of assists but for one of the many refereeing errors in this world cup wrongly chalking one off for offside.
• Argentina may have had a first half to forget but had it not been for left back Marcos Rojo setting up the own goal then the result of that match against a solid Bosnia and Herzegovena could well have been different
• As with his Real Madrid team mate Marcelo, Fabio Coentrao had a day to forget, but unlike Marcelo, Coentrao will have no chance to rectify things. The left back had a golden chance to pull one back at 2-0 and get the 11 men of Portugal back in it. He inexplicably tried to cross instead of slotting home. Later, despite Pepe having already taken the headlines as the man who practically removed the chances of Portugal progressing, Coentrao’s injury meant that even if they do somehow come back from that 4-0 mauling, the important left back will not be playing any further part.
• Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen, deployed at left back, had his blushes spared by his team mates after his foul gave away the penalty that saw Algeria take the lead. It wasn’t until Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini’s introduction that Belgium turned things round and ran out eventual 2-1 winners. Jan has Marouane to thank for helping clear his name from the headlines.

With the left backs taking more headlines than normal in the first round of matches at this World Cup the odds look good that Jordi Alba will play a part in helping Spain put their campaign back on track against Chile tonight. Worth a little flutter on him scoring perhaps?

Or maybe the second round of matches will see players from a different position taking the limelight. But going by the one second round match so far (Brazil v Mexico last night) that would mean the position of goalkeeper is the new left back. We don’t want that. And neither would the Secret Footballer, for we’ve already long established that he’s not a goalkeeper!

The big shock of the tournament so far then. Italy WHIP the reigning champions Spain, many people’s favourites for a fourth consecutive trophy, 5-1. I watched the game in Spain alongside hoards of locals. The reaction was pure shock and utter disbelief.

Personally I’m a little bit gutted not just for my Spanish amigos but because I had been quietly harbouring hopes of England performing a similar unexpected demolition of Italy a la the game against Holland in Euro ’96.

However, after such a shock occurring last night my hope of a similar result for the second night running has diminished somewhat. Still, I’d take 1-0, you?

Arrivederci it’s one on one.

Is it fitting that the FIFA World Cup should begin with a match won thanks to corrupt acts by officials leading to a sense of injustice?

cor•rupt (kə-rŭptˈ) adj. Containing errors or alterations

It would be good to know what The Secret Footballer thinks on the matter. In his most recent article he talks of how he had wanted to be a goalkeeper initially. Who knows, he may well have made a better fist of things than Stipe Pletikosa managed tonight.

He also talks about FIFA’s inherent corruption in the article. Below is an extract:

Everybody knows that Fifa is a dodgy organisation. It always has been and always will be.

There are shell companies all over the place, payments made left, right and centre and an unlikeable man in president Sepp Blatter at the centre of it all.

We’re just a few weeks away now…!

The Secret Footballer has already got his prediction in:

“My three top tips to win the World Cup are Brazil, Germany and Spain – probably in that order.”

Me, I’m going to plump for Argentina.

What do you reckon?
Get your comments in below.

And also, where do you think The Secret Footballer is going to be at this World Cup … Will he be there in any way shape or form?

Meanwhile, we’ve teamed up with Campo Retro who have a brilliant selection of retro football gear. Get in quick to take advantage of the free worldwide delivery.