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Recovering
When a career-ending injury saw former Ireland and Millwall striker Richie Sadlier retire from football at age 24, his life spiraled out of control. Without structure or a sense of purpose, and fueled by a dependency on alcohol, he spent years running from the dark memories and feelings that had haunted him since childhood. Until one day, he hit rock bottom and decided to confront his demons. Now a successful soccer pundit, psychotherapist and mental-fitness teacher, Recovering, written with Dion Fanning is about a life shaped by efforts to escape, and how it is possible to rebuild a life, piece by piece, with the right help. Inspiring and groundbreaking, it is an important reflection on the need to move away from perceptions of shame in our discussions about mental health, sex, relationships and addiction.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2019
40 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 5, 2019
An amazingly honest read
I have known Richie Sadlier since we were in the same class in St Benildus.
We later were colleagues in the Sunday Independent.
Devoured this book in 24 hours.
An incredible story told with simple unvarnished honesty.
I have known Richie Sadlier since we were in the same class in St Benildus.
We later were colleagues in the Sunday Independent.
Devoured this book in 24 hours.
An incredible story told with simple unvarnished honesty.
December 29, 2019
An excellent, honest book on finding yourself and the highs and lows along the way. Richie is open about his struggles, self doubt and dependencies and the steps he took and still takes to make his life and his self image better on a daily basis. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone that feels they are in a similar situation or to family or friends of people in similar circumstances. The book and the author deserve the plaudits they have been getting.
May 31, 2020
#Recovering by @RichieSadlier is a gift. I really hope as many people read it as possible.
It’s a fantastic & open book about a special & regularly heart-wrenching story.
I love how articulate he is about mental health - particularly when relating to young people.
I also love the themes and connections between sport and psychotherapy throughout the book.
As good if not better than Open by Agassi.
It’s a fantastic & open book about a special & regularly heart-wrenching story.
I love how articulate he is about mental health - particularly when relating to young people.
I also love the themes and connections between sport and psychotherapy throughout the book.
As good if not better than Open by Agassi.
February 28, 2021
The bulk of football autobiographies can be lumped into two categories: the going-through-the-motions account of a brilliant career; and the money-spinner churned out mid-career to capitalise on a player’s popularity. Not only does Recovering by Richie Sadlier not fit within these typical outlines, but it also seeks to distance itself from them. In doing so, it stands out brilliantly. Recovering is a story about how Sadlier reclaimed his life from football, and how he recovered from the horrible excesses that football urges on its players.
The critically-acclaimed Recovering won the 2019 Irish Sports Book of the Year, and is preceded by other similarly feted football autobiographies that describe the ravages of alcoholism. Paul McGrath’s Back from the Brink and Tony Cascarino’s Full Time: The Secret of Tony Cascarino especially come to mind. Recovering reminds us that alcoholism and drug use are both still horribly inveterate in the modern game.
Sadlier is perhaps better known for his work outside of football than his work on the pitch. He forged a decent career in football with Millwall, and represented the Republic of Ireland at underage level. He very nearly made the 2002 World Cup squad, too. He is, however, popularly known for an unfortunate TV caption during his punditry with RTE that endeared him to the masses; a caption that stated that he once “scored in UEFA European U-18 Third Place Playoff”. This answer to a middling trivia question asking “Who is Richie Sadlier?” sealed his cult hero status years after he’d given up the game. The image of a tall, young Irish striker in baggy shorts scoring a goal here and there at The Den (and maybe in the rain) some twenty years ago might have come to the mind of someone who had never even saw him play.
The above quote refers to Sadlier’s steely teenage determination to become a professional footballer, and perhaps reflects how naïve and thoroughly unprepared Sadlier was for the extracurricular vices that come part-and-parcel with the profession. The once-homesick Sadlier inevitably partakes in the debauchery. The roots of his alcoholism (“I tried [alcohol]. And everything changed in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I tried it because, well what else was there to do?” (pg. 28)); his cocaine binges in his party house; the laid-back attitude to his injury recovery and a cancer scare; and the denial of issues that led to his self-destruction, all partly make up his laundry list of misadventure.
And all this while plying his trade at Millwall—a club proud to be apart, and perhaps the club least conducive to a physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Sadlier is hardly effusive with his praise for the club. Of an early incident with Millwall fans, he writes, “What I wanted to say was that they were fucking pricks who didn’t deserve to be called supporters” (pg. 60). There is a shocking tale of Sadlier, after breaking his arm, being turned away from treatment at a hospital because Millwall owed the hospital money. His own poor handling of his injuries seems to contribute to the injury that put paid to any hope he made of making the full Republic of Ireland squad for the 2002 World Cup.
Readers of Recovering will notice that there is little banter about former teammates, or self-deprecating humour. The hardships Sadlier endures breed further ill-feeling, discontent, and deep self-resentment. Tragedy is unfettered and unfiltered. At the family level, Sadlier’s strained and seemingly distant relationship with his father is a further source for his crippling self-doubt. His father, a reformed alcoholic, doles out stoic and frank advice. At the peak of Sadlier’s playing career, when he was on the verge of making the full Republic of Ireland squad for the 2002 World Cup, his father undermines his fragile confidence by saying “the chances of you getting some game time are fairly remote, isn’t that right? It’s an awfully long way to go, too,” (pg. 120).
Saddled with alcoholism, depression, and a career scuppered by injury and self-destruction—if this wasn’t enough for the reader to take in, Sadlier reveals that, at 14 years of age, he was sexually abused by his physiotherapist. This needs no more glossing over here, but it does form a part of Recovering’s extended coda and perhaps the most important and honest part of the book. It is truly necessary reading, and acts as the final moment of catharsis from his playing career and the terrors that came with it.
The sheer emotional heft of Recovering leaves the last chapters that describe his TV work tacked on. Invested readers familiar with Sadlier’s punditry will appreciate these chapters, but reading about the bickering between him and fellow pundits seems unimportant considering the nature of the preceding chapters. The writing is emotionally removed and can easily be glossed over.
There is relatively little about his playing career, and as such, little banter or humorous recollections about former teammates. A very dry wit permeates through the book, but this is derived from the unadorned, unfettered and punchy prose. Indeed, the writing serves to highlight all the cruelty that Sadlier endures. As such, Recovering is not a read for the faint-hearted. His reflections on his life come from a studied eye that has, for a very long time, looked inward.
Being a one-club man, Sadlier was hardly a journeyman footballer. He is, however, a man on a journey. He travels through many stations—professional footballer, alcoholic, club CEO, motivational speaker, TV pundit, psychotherapist. This is by no means an exhaustive list. So perhaps it is fitting that a man who has worn many caps can turn out a study of his life so plainly and honestly—a life put through the wringer every which way by football. Recovering shows an ex-footballer healed, and a man cleansed.
STARS: 4.5/5
UNDER 20: A landmark autobiography by Sadlier that shows the end of football as the start of his life.
FULL-TIME SCORE: A down-and-out player finds his own beat to march to, and leads his team to a gritty and inspired 3-0 win against the rabid opposition.
RELATED READING: Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino by Tony Cascarino (2000); Back From the Brink by Paul McGrath (2006); Position of Trust by Andy Woodward (2019)
The critically-acclaimed Recovering won the 2019 Irish Sports Book of the Year, and is preceded by other similarly feted football autobiographies that describe the ravages of alcoholism. Paul McGrath’s Back from the Brink and Tony Cascarino’s Full Time: The Secret of Tony Cascarino especially come to mind. Recovering reminds us that alcoholism and drug use are both still horribly inveterate in the modern game.
Sadlier is perhaps better known for his work outside of football than his work on the pitch. He forged a decent career in football with Millwall, and represented the Republic of Ireland at underage level. He very nearly made the 2002 World Cup squad, too. He is, however, popularly known for an unfortunate TV caption during his punditry with RTE that endeared him to the masses; a caption that stated that he once “scored in UEFA European U-18 Third Place Playoff”. This answer to a middling trivia question asking “Who is Richie Sadlier?” sealed his cult hero status years after he’d given up the game. The image of a tall, young Irish striker in baggy shorts scoring a goal here and there at The Den (and maybe in the rain) some twenty years ago might have come to the mind of someone who had never even saw him play.
“Saturday nights were a no-go for boozing, though, as Sunday was when I had my games with Belvedere. Nothing was to interfere with that. I would ring-fence those nights, mark them down and be clear that on Saturday nights I never drank. This was the dedication I felt was needed to become a professional—something which was beginning to seem like a real possibility.” (pg. 30)
The above quote refers to Sadlier’s steely teenage determination to become a professional footballer, and perhaps reflects how naïve and thoroughly unprepared Sadlier was for the extracurricular vices that come part-and-parcel with the profession. The once-homesick Sadlier inevitably partakes in the debauchery. The roots of his alcoholism (“I tried [alcohol]. And everything changed in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I tried it because, well what else was there to do?” (pg. 28)); his cocaine binges in his party house; the laid-back attitude to his injury recovery and a cancer scare; and the denial of issues that led to his self-destruction, all partly make up his laundry list of misadventure.
And all this while plying his trade at Millwall—a club proud to be apart, and perhaps the club least conducive to a physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Sadlier is hardly effusive with his praise for the club. Of an early incident with Millwall fans, he writes, “What I wanted to say was that they were fucking pricks who didn’t deserve to be called supporters” (pg. 60). There is a shocking tale of Sadlier, after breaking his arm, being turned away from treatment at a hospital because Millwall owed the hospital money. His own poor handling of his injuries seems to contribute to the injury that put paid to any hope he made of making the full Republic of Ireland squad for the 2002 World Cup.
Readers of Recovering will notice that there is little banter about former teammates, or self-deprecating humour. The hardships Sadlier endures breed further ill-feeling, discontent, and deep self-resentment. Tragedy is unfettered and unfiltered. At the family level, Sadlier’s strained and seemingly distant relationship with his father is a further source for his crippling self-doubt. His father, a reformed alcoholic, doles out stoic and frank advice. At the peak of Sadlier’s playing career, when he was on the verge of making the full Republic of Ireland squad for the 2002 World Cup, his father undermines his fragile confidence by saying “the chances of you getting some game time are fairly remote, isn’t that right? It’s an awfully long way to go, too,” (pg. 120).
“We never knew which version of my dad would arrive home. Hungover, drunk or sober, take your pick, you’d know who it was before he said a word. His mood came in the door before him” (pg. 10-11)
Saddled with alcoholism, depression, and a career scuppered by injury and self-destruction—if this wasn’t enough for the reader to take in, Sadlier reveals that, at 14 years of age, he was sexually abused by his physiotherapist. This needs no more glossing over here, but it does form a part of Recovering’s extended coda and perhaps the most important and honest part of the book. It is truly necessary reading, and acts as the final moment of catharsis from his playing career and the terrors that came with it.
The sheer emotional heft of Recovering leaves the last chapters that describe his TV work tacked on. Invested readers familiar with Sadlier’s punditry will appreciate these chapters, but reading about the bickering between him and fellow pundits seems unimportant considering the nature of the preceding chapters. The writing is emotionally removed and can easily be glossed over.
There is relatively little about his playing career, and as such, little banter or humorous recollections about former teammates. A very dry wit permeates through the book, but this is derived from the unadorned, unfettered and punchy prose. Indeed, the writing serves to highlight all the cruelty that Sadlier endures. As such, Recovering is not a read for the faint-hearted. His reflections on his life come from a studied eye that has, for a very long time, looked inward.
Being a one-club man, Sadlier was hardly a journeyman footballer. He is, however, a man on a journey. He travels through many stations—professional footballer, alcoholic, club CEO, motivational speaker, TV pundit, psychotherapist. This is by no means an exhaustive list. So perhaps it is fitting that a man who has worn many caps can turn out a study of his life so plainly and honestly—a life put through the wringer every which way by football. Recovering shows an ex-footballer healed, and a man cleansed.
“I was just a kid, a powerless kid abused by a powerful man. I turned on myself and continued to do so for years.” (pg. 240)
STARS: 4.5/5
UNDER 20: A landmark autobiography by Sadlier that shows the end of football as the start of his life.
FULL-TIME SCORE: A down-and-out player finds his own beat to march to, and leads his team to a gritty and inspired 3-0 win against the rabid opposition.
RELATED READING: Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino by Tony Cascarino (2000); Back From the Brink by Paul McGrath (2006); Position of Trust by Andy Woodward (2019)
May 21, 2024
Thank you Richie - you have made me smile, laugh, cry, upset and feel more educated through your writing. Would give this 6 stars if I could. Best wishes to you, your wife and the Sadlier family.
February 16, 2020
Really enjoyed it 4.3.
December 30, 2019
Not your standard sportsperson’s autobiography by any stretch of the imagination. If Richie Sadlier’s autobiography “Recovering” has any real connection with that genre, then it is concerned with far more profound questions than your typical ‘have-boots-will-travel’ football pro’s memoir.
The questions “Recovering” is consumed by are: how does a sportsperson cope when the career they have aspired to all their life is cruelly cut short by injury? Can you fill the void left once your sporting dream has been extinguished? And once you have finished trying to fill that void with alcohol and drugs (almost destroying yourself in the process), how do you begin rebuilding your life?
“Recovering” can at times be a raw and harrowing read, no more so than when Sadlier addresses the deep-lying demons that were at the root of his negative thoughts and self-destructive impulses. While “Recovering” (as its title might suggest) is primarily about the redemptive road back from surviving substance abuse – and sexual abuse – it is mercifully free of self-help psychobabble. Sadlier remains relatable and likeable throughout his struggles, and his flaws will be all too recognisable to far too many people (I dare say to young Irish and British men, in particular). “Recovering” is a sometimes challenging read, but at all times a compassionate and empathetic one, and it is a book whose greatest achievement could be in encouraging readers to question their own destructive behaviours and how they might build better lives for themselves.
The questions “Recovering” is consumed by are: how does a sportsperson cope when the career they have aspired to all their life is cruelly cut short by injury? Can you fill the void left once your sporting dream has been extinguished? And once you have finished trying to fill that void with alcohol and drugs (almost destroying yourself in the process), how do you begin rebuilding your life?
“Recovering” can at times be a raw and harrowing read, no more so than when Sadlier addresses the deep-lying demons that were at the root of his negative thoughts and self-destructive impulses. While “Recovering” (as its title might suggest) is primarily about the redemptive road back from surviving substance abuse – and sexual abuse – it is mercifully free of self-help psychobabble. Sadlier remains relatable and likeable throughout his struggles, and his flaws will be all too recognisable to far too many people (I dare say to young Irish and British men, in particular). “Recovering” is a sometimes challenging read, but at all times a compassionate and empathetic one, and it is a book whose greatest achievement could be in encouraging readers to question their own destructive behaviours and how they might build better lives for themselves.
January 18, 2020
This is so much more than a footballer's autobiography. His sporting life seems almost an aside to his refreshingly honest, eloquent and profound account of his personal struggles and the journey that has taken him to swapping from the chair of the client to the therapist's. A remarkable and enjoyable read that will resonate with anybody who has lived.
November 15, 2019
Fantastic book that gives a real insight into the struggles that can happen a man who’s dream life doesn’t go to plan. I think this should be recommended reading for young Irish men to see that if you do hit a speed bump in life hard, you can come out the other side.
October 18, 2021
Excellent book and story, one of the quickest books I've ever read couldn't put it down! An honest account of his life, Richie Sadlier really wears his heart on his sleeve. A story of drink, drugs and football, well mainly football injuries.
A remarkable story and commendable that Sadlier has turned his life around to have a successful TV career and in his work and personal life. An inspiring story and well written.
A remarkable story and commendable that Sadlier has turned his life around to have a successful TV career and in his work and personal life. An inspiring story and well written.
March 22, 2020
A very frank read on Sadlier's negative thoughts and injuries. Explained through brilliant story telling how these two things fed off each other and plagued him all through his career. The former Ireland international gives an honest account of his life after football, one that included battles with addiction and desperate attempts to resurrect his career. Well worth the read.
July 25, 2025
Quite ambivalent to Ritchie Sadlier, but big fan of Dion Fanning who wrote it with him. Found Sadlier fairly insightful and booked ticked along fine but felt quite disjointed at times in terms of its flow. Bit of a hatchet job on old RTE pundits in its own chapter which was bizarre. Seems like a very decent fella but book not exactly gripping.
August 28, 2020
Richie’s book is an honest reflection of life challenges and what he did to overcome and find purpose in his life. I really enjoyed it and found it quite inspiring . I’m a very slow reader but found it hard to put the book and read in a matter of days
October 18, 2021
This is a very honest book by Richie Sadlier. A fascinating account of his life, including the ups and downs of being a professional football struggling with injuries and other issues. I found it hard to put this down.
December 20, 2021
One of the finest Football autobiography’s you’ll ever read. Richie is the best sports pundit working today and seeing him delve into his struggles will resonate with everyone. An essential read for Irish sports fans.
November 18, 2025
Really good book for both football fans and for anyone that is going through a hard time in life in general. Sadlier's book offers hope to addicts and people struggling with guilt or trauma. Book is both funny and heartwarming and insightful about the struggles of a young footballer.
May 1, 2020
An amazing and very honest of Richie's life before, during and after a very short career as a professional footballer.
June 8, 2020
Raw, honest and powerful. Definitely worth a read
October 2, 2020
An absolutely excellent read. Many harsh realisations within. Everyone should read this.
October 18, 2020
A very honest story. Well told and well written.
Read
February 23, 2021A terrific read...brutally honest...
September 27, 2021
Cracking book. Read it all in one day. Literally could not put the book down till I finished it. Would highly recommend this book.
March 12, 2022
Can only admire and applaud what a great read this is.
March 18, 2022
Honest. Insightful. Funny. Uplifting. Sadlier has my respect.
March 15, 2023
Sadlier narrates his autobiography with a candour that’s both refreshing and heart-breaking. Helps explain why he makes for such an interesting pundit. A gripping read.
April 19, 2023
10/10 - can't recommend enough for anyone who is even slightly aware of who Richie is.
October 4, 2023
For class. Solid read
July 8, 2024
Amazing story. Amazing person.
November 1, 2024
An enthralling story of a gifted young soccer player who was not only unlucky but subject to evil. He is recovering now and his story his well worth a read.
March 6, 2020
Excellent, honest autobiography. Worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews