Man of the Match
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PRAISE FOR THE JAMIE JOHNSON SERIES
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“You'll read this and want to get out there and play”
Steven Gerrard
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“True to the game . . . Dan knows his football”
Owen Hargreaves
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“An inspiring read for all football fans”
Gary Lineker
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“If you like football, this book's for you”
Frank Lampard
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“Jamie could go all the way”
Jermain Defoe
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“Pure class â brings the game to life”
Owen Coyle
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“I love reading about football and it
doesn't get much better than this”
Joe Hart
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“Pure joy”
The Times
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“Inspiring”
Observer
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“Gripping”
Sunday Express
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“A resounding victory”
Telegraph
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Dan Freedman grew up wanting to be a professional footballer. That didn't happen. But he went on to become a top football journalist, personally interviewing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson. He uses his passion and knowledge of football to write the hugely popular series of Jamie Johnson football novels. When he is not writing, Dan delivers talks and workshops for schools. And he still plays football whenever he can.
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Follow Dan on
Twitter @DanFreedman99
Contents
Praise for the Jamie Johnson Series
Chapter 15: Jamie's Seaport Debut
Chapter 24: “Whenever You're Ready”
Chapter 30: Operation Searchlight
Chapter 35: Shouting Technique
Chapter 36: Difficult Question
Chapter 38: Playing for the Title
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Acknowledgements
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Thanks to:
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The Erlicks and Freedmans â for your support and for giving me a place to write!
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Caspian Dennis, Ena McNamara, Lola Cashman, Martin Hitchcock, Oli Karger and Major â for your fantastic advice.
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Hazel Ruscoe â this story is inspired by the ideas we had together.
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The best left-winger of them all, Ryan Giggs â for backing Jamie.
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Ms Pluckrose and the secret agents at St Ed's â for telling me exactly what you thought!
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Jason Cox â for bearing with me on the double drag-backs!
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Sarah Stewart and the whole team at Scholastic â for signing Jamie up.
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And everyone who follows Jamie's story. He plays for you. . .
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Jamie was sure he could hear rats scurrying beneath the wooden floorboards of the manager's office at Seaport Town Football Club.
Rats, with their hairy little feet and their big sharp yellow teeth. Rats, crawling around with their noses twitching.
Jamie Johnson was in the third division of English football and he was sharing a football club with rats.
It was Jamie's first day at Seaport Town and he was waiting to meet his new manager, Raymond Porlock.
All Jamie wanted was to get back. Back to Hawkstone United . . . back to the Premier League . . . back to where he belonged. . .
Just a few months ago he had been a star. He'd been football's golden boy, with the world at his feet.
But, right now, all Jamie had at his feet were those disgusting, filthy rats. . .
Jamie shook his head and blew into his freezing hands.
What on earth was he doing here? How had he fallen so far?
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“And Jamie Johnson has burst completely clear of the City defence once more. . . His speed is sensational! There's no way the defenders will catch him now!
“Just the goalkeeper to beat. . . This for Johnson's sixth goal in five games. . . This to send Hawkstone United to the top of the Premier Leaaaaaaague!
“Oh and it's there! Johnson knocked it in through the keeper's legs! That's the cheekiest goal you are likely to see! And another quite sensational strike from the boy with the golden touch!”
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Premier League Table â 12 September
Top Scorers â Race for the Golden Boot
Johnson 6
Rodinaldo 5
O'Kane 5
Afikware 4
Volpone 4
Rouzel 3
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It was a boiling September afternoon. Hawkstone United were top of the Premier League and Jamie Johnson was fast becoming recognized as the best young player in the country.
Nothing could touch him. This was where he'd dreamed of being his entire life.
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“Put the radio on, will you, Doug?” Jamie asked, as his driver pulled out of the Hawkstone car park.
Jamie had listened to the match reports on the radio since he was a young kid. He and his granddad, Mike, had always gone to watch the Hawkstone games together and then given each player marks out of ten on their way back.
Then, when they'd got home, they would switch on the radio to see what the pundits thought.
The only difference now was that Jamie was the player they were talking about on the radio. . .
“I'm pleased to say that we're now joined by the manager of Hawkstone United, Harry Armstrong,” said the radio presenter.
“So, Harry, you may be the youngest manager in the Premier League, having just hung up your own boots, but with thirteen points from five games, the league table must make pretty good reading for you tonight.
“And we have to ask you about Jamie Johnson! He's still only seventeen years old, but right now he looks like the most potent attacker in the league. How good do you think this boy can become? Is it too early to start using the words âworld class'?”
“Well, Pat, every team needs someone to unlock the door. . . to provide that spark. At the moment, Jamie Johnson is that person. He's a special player for us.
“And people shouldn't forget that it was only a year ago that he was injured so badly that it looked like the boy might not ever play again. Foxborough released him and he came to us. You know that his first job here was washing the kits?
“My assistant, Archie Fairclough, he has this saying: âNever bet against Jamie Johnson,' and I'm starting to agree with him.”
Jamie smiled, leaned back and looked out of the window. It was true. A year ago, he could hardly walk, let alone sprint away from Premier League defenders like an Olympic athlete.
Now, when defenders faced up to Jamie flying at them with the ball at his feet, he could see the fear in their eyes. And he loved that feeling.
Most of all, though, Jamie loved the fact that Harry Armstrong had called him a “special” player. That filled him with confidence. Made him feel unstoppable.
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