From 1980 to 1985, he managed one of Ireland's greatest generations of players. The team barely missed out on the 1982 World Cup and despite having come closer than any previous manager to qualifying, Hand endured intense criticism from the press. Here he responds for the first time, telling the inside story, from the teams he played on, to the players and managers he worked with, to the inner workings of the FAI. With unflinching honesty and bracing humor, Hand also lays bare the personal issues he faced: that he managed to pull through at all is testament to the resilience with which this provocative memoir crackles.

Ghostwriter Jared Browne had trials with Manchester United and Liverpool, and represented the Republic of Ireland at schoolboy level before leaving football for a university education. His first book was Dunphy: A Football Life (2012). He is Irish Correspondent for UK football magazine BACKPASS and lives in Kerry.