Just imagine what your best Christmas ever would sound like.

Thank you for calling National Lottery. I can see you calling about a winner today, is that correct?

Yeah, I think I have. I'd just take to double check before I do a cartwheel.

Yeah, I can confirm that you have won the top prize 1.2 million oh my

what happy Christmas why do now you have the best Christmas ever this Christmas it could be you. The National Lottery. Rules and procedures apply. Players must be

18 or over. Hello and welcome to the game podcast from The Times. I am Allison Rudd.

As luck would have it I have with me in the game podcast studio a copy of football

my life my passion by Graham sooness even more fortunately I have

in the studio to discuss the book the man himself Graham him himself, Graham, um, with a book that is an autobiography and I know you

you're somebody who doesn't like looking back, you're a looking forward sort of guy, but you have to look back and you do touch upon

your childhood and you do say you're not entirely sure why you are the character you are, because

your parents were delightful, pleasant, mild-mannered people.

You didn't have any awful things happen to you in your upbringing to give you something

to work against or fight against or prove yourself for.

So I was reading it and thinking why is he the way he is?

The only clues to me are that your father had talent as a footballer and he wasn't able to go

anywhere with the career because he broke his leg and then there was a small matter of a World War.

I wonder if it maybe even

subconsciously you knew it would make your father happy if you were able to

fulfill the dreams he couldn't have had for himself. I've never thought of that but I am I knew when I

once I become a professional football or how happy it made I mean never mentioned that but I knew

how proud he was but I can't honestly I can never say that I was doing it because I wanted him to be

...