Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout
A great book lifting the lid on scouting at LFC during the 60s, 70s and 80s is now available in paperback.
Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley are rightly credited for turning Liverpool Football Club into a world power but few people know about the major role played by Geoff Twentyman, the club's chief scout from 1967 to 1985.
Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout is his story.
A former Anfield player, Twentyman was recruited into the bootroom team by Shankly and went on to unearth a host of world-famous stars that helped to maintain the Reds' position as one of Europe's greatest teams during a glittering era that saw them take their tally of Football League championships to 18.
Twentyman worked tirelessly, travelling up and down the country in his trademark Cortina to write reports on young up-and-coming professionals such as Alan Hansen, Terry McDermott, Steve Nicol, Ian Rush and other household names that went on to forge successful careers at other clubs.
His son William has kept his father's fascinating scouting book, which is now on loan to the new Museum of Liverpool as part of an extensive football exhibition. Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout publishes those early reports as Twentyman casts his expert eye over young hopefuls that were to become legends of the game as well as others that failed to make the top grade.
Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout tells the story of Twentyman's life and legacy at Liverpool under Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish and how he changed modern football forever through his dedication to scouting. The book includes interviews with more than 30 players, including Keegan, Neal and Hansen, and it also reveals the great names that Liverpool scouted but never signed.
Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout was released as hardback in 2009. The paperback is out now, RRP £8.99, available from all good retailers and merseyshop.com.