Stage one: Boyhood

“I was nearly called Adrian” are the first words of Wayne Rooney’s projected five volumes. “That was what my father wanted. A bit posh, I suppose, and doesn’t quite sound like me. In the end, though, my Mum talked my Dad out of it.”

Most English players’ autobiographies are keen to establish the author’s social origins at once: as a member of a tight-knit, loving working-class family. The message is that however much the player earns, he remains anchored and authentic. Early on, each of these five offers a long paean to his family. “I’m looking for my Mum in the jubilant crowd…” is how Chelsea’s Ashley Cole opens his story, while teammate Frank Lampard tells us he has inherited “my Mum’s perception, humanity and sensitivity”, and “my Dad’s ambition, hard work and vision”. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard has happy memories of childhood holidays at Butlins.