Getting a behind the scenes look at the English Premier League is a special thing. But when you get that look from someone who worked their way up from non-league football, it is priceless.
Ashley Williams: My Premier League Diary is truly a journey of excitement and expectation, tragedy and disappointment, and the world’s best football. You see it through the eyes of Swansea and Wales captain Ashley Williams, one of the best defenders in the EPL. The stats show that Williams had the most blocks and the most passes completed by any defender in 2011/2012.
In a single season, he experienced an entire range of emotions: the excitement of promotion, the struggle to stay up, the death of a national team manager, the loss of his club manager to Liverpool, and most of all the demands of a long season in the Premier League. Simply put, it was an incredible and trying season to say the least.
Williams helped Swansea avoid relegation on their way to a very successful run, one that surpassed the expectations of pundits worldwide.
We see everything: training, league matches, preseason games, the FA Cup, national team games, and everything in between. All from the perspective of a top-flight player, one that makes a difference every time he steps foot on the pitch.
This book is an experience you can’t find anywhere else. You will truly see what it takes to be a Premier League footballer: the long hours, the sacrifice, playing through pain and injuries, and stepping up your game against the world’s best players. Williams did just that, taking on the best the EPL has to offer. Yes I am talking about the likes Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez, and Wayne Rooney.
You could certainly just watch Swansea on TV or catch a game in person, but the book takes you to a place where no cameras or fans have ever been. And most importantly you can hear what the players felt in the important moments. Whether it was the playoff triumph that punched Swansea’s ticket to the top-flight or the big wins against teams they weren’t supposed to beat, you are there to catch every second of Williams’ debut season in the EPL.
The most interesting part of the book was when Williams opened his heart and mind to talk about the loss of two managers, two men that he affectionately called “The Gaffer.” While Brendan Rodgers going to Liverpool was disappointing, the death of Gary Speed was absolutely tragic and really put things into perspective. Critics of Rodgers won’t be so tough on him once they read about the special impact he has on players. And the tragedy surrounding Speed was much worse than I ever imagined.
If I had to take away one thing from this book, I would have to say that 99.99% of today’s professional footballers are just like us, ordinary people with dreams and a drive to achieve. Fans and supporters sometimes forget that they are real people who aren’t immune to the issues of everyday life.
Ashley’s story is inspiring and I think many people will have a new favorite player and team after reading this great title.
