On Days Like These: The Incredible Autobiography of a Football Legend

by Martin O'Neill

2022. First Edition. 353 pages. Signed by the author. Pictorial dust jacket over blue cloth boards. Gilt lettering. Contains black and white and colour plates. Flat signed by author to title page. Pages and plates are bright and clear with no visible markings. Binding throughout remains firm. Boards have light edgewear with minor corner bumping. Mild crushing to spine, with occasional markings overall. Gilt lettering is bright and clear. Panels have light edgewear with some creases. Minor markings to all surfaces.

Genres: Football, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Sports, Audiobook

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Martin O’Neill is widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in football with a career spanning more than 50 years. A key part of Brian Clough’s legendary Nottingham Forest team in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, he represented Northern Ireland more than 60 times and led them to the 1982 World Cup.

As a manager he took Leicester City to two League Cups, Celtic to seven trophies, and Republic of Ireland to the 2016 European Championship. In his autobiography, On Days Like These, O’Neill tells the story of his extraordinary life for the first time. From his upbringing in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and thoughts of being a lawyer, to being spotted by Nottingham Forest and moving to England. He recalls his arrival at the club as a naïve 19-year-old and meeting Brian Clough for the first time. He reveals what it was like to play under Clough during the glory years, and their incredible journey from the second division to winning the First Division championship, two League Cups and back-to-back European Cups. He describes vividly the first time he played at Wembley, and speaks about the characters he played alongside, from George Best to Trevor Francis. He talks about his pride in captaining his country and the elation he felt when Northern Ireland qualified for the 1982 World Cup.

Martin O’Neill speaks honestly about the decision to retire as a player, and making the transition to manager. He recalls finding early success with Wycombe Wanderers, and the move to the Premier League with Leicester City. He talks about his years with Celtic, where the team won seven trophies and reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, and at Aston Villa, where he achieved three consecutive top six Premier League finishes. He also speaks about managing the Republic of Ireland, and working alongside his mercurial assistant, Roy Keane. Written with O’Neill’s trademark honesty and humour,
On Days Like These is an insightful and captivating autobiography, and a must-read for all fans of the beautiful game.

Reviews

[Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best sporting autobiography I have ever read.

Martin O’Neill has delivered a sublime and superb book that is honest, insightful, funny and detailed.

He gives a decent and open view of his sporting life that sheds light on a truly remarkable career at the very top of the game.

A must read for anyone with a interest in football.

[Dave McKee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable memoir about a man who had a fantastic career.

Split into two sections describing his career as a player and then later as a manager.

There are some nice stories in here, but I would have liked to hear more about what Clough was like or what life was like in Glasgow, but he focuses on what happened on the pitch, which is fine.

An enjoyable read (even the Celtic bits 🤣)

[Donaldinho14 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cut above most football autobiographies in that O'Neill is a decent writer, socially aware and an interesting, if sometimes chippy, character.

A strong start to the book, with interesting tales of growing up as a catholic in Northern Ireland, through signing for Forest and playing for Brian Clough and captaining his country in the World Cup.

However, I felt that when it concentrated on his management career, the book suffered from turning into a list of matches and scores and wasn't as interesting. I also felt O'Neill had more to say about some of the treatment he received from clubs towards the end of his career, but maybe refrained with one eye on his TV punditry.

[Richie Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tidy little book, it charts the progress of a man who I am sure will be fondly remembered as a football genius by my generation.
Mr. O’Neil takes us on a journey that includes his childhood, his professional football career and then his professional management history.
As he takes you through this momentous journey, it’s not difficult to be impressed with everything that he has achieved and it seems that he has done it with minimal collateral damage. So often you see public figures climb to the top of the mountain stepping on people as they go but O’Neils generous and warm personality makes for a winning account of triumph over adversity when facing very difficult odds.
The only disappointment was that as his career progresses, particularly into management in the premiership, he doesn’t go into more depth when describing many of the characters in the dressing room, the make-up of the club and the characters involved. I just really felt like I wanted more from this period.
That aside it’s a great little read, especially when he describes his playing career.
A proper legend put into words.
It’s worthy of 4.5 stars really.

[Ryan Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this to be honest, still to this day he is THE Celtic Manager for me. Despite the obvious, felt like a hell of a lot was skipped over which deserved more attention.

[Turlough Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligently written as expected from such a mind and humour abounds throughout.
Definitely 4.5 stars.
Would have loved a little more information about:
1. How Clough and Taylor ran training and / or tactics sessions.
2. More characters he managed especially within the Irish team as I am Irish.

Thanks for your all efforts in writing this Martin - it was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed

[Ewan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firm recollection of a great footballing career. It gets too similarly paced toward the managerial side of life and a brief, short sentence structure soon follows in what becomes a highlights reel. But Martin O'Neill makes for a delightful tour guide through his own time on and off the pitch, with the Nottingham Forest glory days raked over for the finer details, as is his experience in more recent times with the Republic of Ireland. Definitely a nice read for those who remember his work or appreciate his managerial tact, although it must be said it is not as appreciated now as it should be. His autobiography puts this into great perspective, a modest recollection of a strong career.

[Daniel Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it a fair bit more then I thought i would
Nice in depth biography!

[Matt Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good autobiography by someone who has had a successful career as a player and also a manager. It was a great read with some funny anecdotes along the way.

[Sean Sparky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. A fenominal career both as a manager and player. One of Derry and Ireland's finest.

[Spencer Preece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always liked him and this was fantastic stuff.

[DAVID · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found the book a very easy read. Interesting facts about his footballing life and various influences especially Brian Clough - who he didn’t seem to get on with. As a Villa fan I was intrigued to read the behind the scenes events which led to him leaving. Very sad. Still would recommend this to any football fan - a good beach read .

[Mohamed Nazirudeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“On Days Like These: My Life in Football” by Martin O’Neill

What a ride this book was! Such thrilling insights into a sparkling career in football as both player and manager.

I wasn’t yet born or old enough to witness his exploits as a player (2 league titles and 2 Champions League titles with Nottingham Forest under the legendary Brian Clough and a stellar showing for Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup in Spain), but I have witnessed his exploits as a football manager who overachieved at every team that he has ever managed.

I particularly enjoyed watching his Leicester City side that won 2 League Cups, his Celtic side that broke Rangers stranglehold on the Scottish league and his exciting Irish side that made the second round of the European Championships against all odds.

He also made Aston Villa punch above their weight and made them regular challengers for a top 6 spot despite a lack of significant investment in the playing squad. He also saved Sunderland from relegation and made them a stable mid-table team.

O’Neill is the kind of coach whom you can describe as one of those who continuously and consistently produced silk purses from sows’ ears.

That he was able to produce trophy-winning teams and teams capable of playing intelligent, attacking football without compromising on their grit and graft despite the meagre resources available to him, is testament to his footballing intellect, coaching and man-management qualities.

In the early 2000s, when Sir Alex Ferguson had first announced his wish to retire from football, O’Neill was a strong front runner for the Manchester United manager’s job when he was still Celtic manager. But Sir Alex did a u-turn and stayed on for a further decade plus of success with United.

O’Neill was also interviewed for the England manager’s job before it went to Steve McClaren.

Now 71 years of age and out of football management since 2019, one wonders what this throughly intelligent football coach and gentleman of immense integrity would have achieved with United or England if he had been given the chance.

Martin O’Neill OBE must be honoured as a national footballing treasure.

[ParisianIrish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin O’Neill is one of the most respected men in soccer, I grew up watching his Celtic side play and reach the UEFA cup final in 2003. So, when I saw that he had released an autobiography, it was a must have for me. Martin grew up in Northern Ireland with the backdrop of the troubles always lingering as part of his childhood, as a player he won the most coveted club trophy that exists and as a manager developed a reputation for creating teams that punch above their weight.
With all that considered, I was looking forward to an in-depth account of his career in sport, however I felt a bit let down by this. I got the impression that the book is either heavily edited or rushed, meaning that he was working to very tight deadlines. What the reader gets is very high-level account of his career, brushing over the nitty gritty with whole seasons get summed up in a paragraph and years in a matter of pages. It’s actually a very quick read, a good read though but not an exceptional read considering the weight the name Martin O’Neill carries in Ireland and the UK.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A candidate and revealing commentary on a life in football. Few players who go on into management can have experienced such a variety of triumphant experiences. Martin O'Neil is a serial winner who as a player blossomed and suffered under Brian Clough's abrasive style of management. He demonstrated a unique ability to harness all the best attributes of his mentor with a more understanding approach to players that took him from lower league management right to the top end of the game. He captures this in a whistle-stop journey through 50 years in football and the reader is left in no doubt as to the underlying passion that fuels a glittering career whilst abbreviating some of his management roles.

[Keith Astbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

O'Neill has been one of the more interesting characters in football over the years and so it's no surprise that this is one of the better football autobiographies I have read. Like the rest of us, he's a flawed character and one who is open about how he found it difficult to keep his mouth shut at times. The management years were enjoyable enough, albeit he was sounding somewhat bitter about it by the end, but it's his playing years that I enjoyed reading about most. After all, Martin is a man who played alongside George Best at international level and most interesting to me, played for Clough and Taylor. I personally found that period really fascinating.

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable autobiography, covering a very full and eventful footballing career. It was much better than the run of the mill footballing biography, usually ghost written. Not surprisingly for a man of Martin O'Neill's intelligence, this one was written by the man himself.

He covers his early years before moving on to his playing, then managerial career. He is careful to avoid dwelling on every result, but focusses instead on the important events. However, by the time we get to the Sunderland and Republic of Ireland jobs, it does feel as though he is running out of steam.

[Gerald Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often read autobiographies but this was quite interesting. It covered his early years as a Roman Catholic growing up in Northern Ireland and following his dream of becoming a professional footballer in England. I’m a similar age and recall a lot of the events he talks about from winning the European Cup with Nottingham Forest led by Brian Clough, and the famous exploits of the Northern Ireland team at the World Cup in 1982. A good read with few references to the political situation in Northern Ireland at the time.

[David Portas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not really a fan of autobiographies. Some people underplay their talents, others overplay. At least O’Neill admits to being sulky and moany and always falling out with people. But is does make you wonder if he could have achieved even more greatness if he had kept his temper in check. Or maybe its the inner fire that spurred him on. He has achieved a heck of a lot and this book takes you through the ups and downs of his career. Definitely a book for the footie fan. 6.5/10

[Colin Parfitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy read, and if you were someone who grew up watching football in in 1980’s it is easy to follow along. The book starts well, with a good mix of personal and football, but as it goes on seems to become almost a list of football matches, with the personal side almost completely disappearing. The last couple of chapters feel rushed, and this is a book that starts well but fades as it goes on.

[Mark McKillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that I would highly recommend to any football fan. It particularly resonated with me as I come from the same town as Martin. The section on his early life in Kilrea was illuminating for a local person to read. I found it a class above most football biographies in terms of how well it was written. There is great insight into figures such as Brian Clough and life at Nottingham Forest in the 1970s.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decent player, great manager, good stories.

An interesting read about a life in football. Winner of multiple leagues and cups as a player and manager, you can't ask for much more, really.

An intelligent, well-spoken man, one of the good guys in the game, would like to have seen him get a go at the England job but, like his old boss Cloughie, it wasn't to be.

If you're interested in British football from the 1970's to the present day then this book is essential reading.

[James Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming book, first 2/3rds of O’Neil’s life that I was less familiar with - I really enjoyed. Some great anecdotes about his early life and stories are told with a nice likeable innocence and naivety. The last and most recent third of his life that I already knew about - I found littered with bias, lies and inaccuracy. This undermined the first 2/3rd’s of the book and made me highly suspicious of its authenticity. Still an enjoyable read.

[Simon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin O'Neill is a tremendously articulately and intelligent man, and I thoroughly enjoyed his autobiography, written without the input of a ghost writer.

However, at times it felt a little rushed - for example, both his early professional career and how he felt when he won the league with Nottingham Forest seem to be covered very briefly. I wonder whether it would've been better for the great man to divide this book into two tomes: one dealing with his playing career and a sequel with his managerial one. That way, he could've dealt with his many successes and occasional failures in more detail.

For all that, I'd still recommend 'On Days Like These', as you get a clear insight into one of the sharpest minds in football.

[Kurt Lewin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read. I was mainly interested in his managerial career but I ended up enjoying the part of his playing days just as much, particularly his tales with Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. I also liked how he talked about his relationship with various chairman at clubs he worked at which provides insight we don't hear much about in other manager autobiographies.

[Evan Binos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. Getting an insight on the journey of an on the travails of an exceptional footballer and a what it takes to be a successful manger made this book very hard to put down. Martin is definitely a scholar of the greatest game in the world. To any football fan do yourself a favour….grab a copy and read it

[John Joseph Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The full shebang, that's what you get here. The detail from dreaming of being a football player to managing your boyhood club, and what a story there is in-between.
I was drawn to the Celtic Football Club part before reading, but thoroughly enjoyed every part of the book, a great insight to the world of professional football. Recommended 👍🏼

[Paul McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it up to the last couple of chapters. Seemed rushed at the end and I thought the Ireland job would have been covered in more detailed. Not a mention at all then about the management spell at Forest

[Andy Chalk · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Wycombe Wanderes fan I was really looking forward to this but it left me rather flat. Yes he has achieved alot in both playing and management and yes I learnt alot of facts I was unaware of but it was written in such a limp and unexciting way. Sorry Martin

[Jack Youd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this on audiobook and that really enhanced the listening experience as it was narrated by O’Neil himself. I knew a lot of his later premier league managerial career so it was great to listen to the stories from his playing days and early managerial career. Fantastic read.