Ian Cheeseman

Collin C. Bell

Professor Colin Bell

If Manchester City legend Colin Bell were playing today, he'd be one of the most sought-after midfielders in the world and would command the wages of, and comparison to, the likes of Zidane, Pires and Rivaldo. While his remarkable success came before football heroes acquired celebrity status, he was every bit as talented as today's superstars and would have been a footballer of global stature. best player of all time. He graced the midfield during their greatest years, as they lifted the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners Cup. The man they nicknamed Nijinski, due to his supreme athleticism, captained Bury at the age of 17 and represented England 48 times before a serious knee injury effectively ended his career at just 29. County Durham. He talks about never knowing his mother, who died while he was a baby, and of being brought up by his aunt and then his father and older sister. He explains why the love of his life, his wife Marie, was never allowed to watch him play and why his family means so much to him. The many highs and lows of his career are covered, including his views on the tackle in a Manchester derby that ended his footballing dreams and could even have cost him his life. His contemporaries remember his determination to return to the game and Colin explains why he'll never speak again to his former City teammate Francis Lee. Bobby Charlton, Colin the King is the life story of a footballer whose brilliance on the field demanded adulation but who was never comfortable in the spotlight; a player who truly preferred to let his feet do the talking.

Reluctant Hero

Colin Bell

Most Manchester City fans regard Colin Bell as the club's best ever player. He graced the midfield during their greatest years, as they won the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners' Cup, and represented England 48 times before a serious knee injury effectively ended his career when he was just 29. Now, in this revealing autobiography, 'King Colin' has opened up. He talks about never knowing his mother, who died while he was a baby; and of being brought up by his aunt and then his father and older sister. He then leads us through the glory years, singles out his greatest opponents and compares the modern game with the era he dominated, before giving his views on the tackle in a Manchester derby that ended his footballing dreams and could have cost him his life. With tributes from the likes of Malcolm Allison, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby Charlton,COLIN BELL - THE RELUCTANT HERO is the life story of a footballer whose brilliance on the field demanded adulation but who was never comfortable in the spotlight, a player who truly preferred to let his feet do the talking.

Ian Cheeseman

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