Roddy Doyle is to ghost-write Roy Keane's second autobiography, The Second Half, which is to come out this autumn.
Doyle is one of Ireland's most renowned writers, and won the Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. His famous Barrytown trilogy, The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van have all been made into popular films.
Roy Keane has said “I am very happy to be working with Roddy Doyle on this book, and look forward to the experience.”
Doyle tells a story which illustrates Keane's iconic status both in Ireland and around the world when announcing his excitement about the project. “Ten years ago I was buying something in a shop in New York and I handed my credit card to the young African man behind the counter. He read ‘Bank of Ireland’ on the card, looked at me and said: ‘Ireland – Roy Keane.’ I’m delighted to be writing this book with Roy.”
Alan Sampson of the book's publishers, Orion Publishing Group says the book will "blend memoir and motivational writing in a manner which both disquiets and reassures in Roy Keane's own original voice... I believe The Second Half will become a benchmark for sports autobiography. The combination of an outstanding player - and leader – like Roy with a writer of Roddy’s extraordinary gifts should result in one of the books of the year.”
Roy may be the first footballer to have gotten a Booker Prize winning author to write his autobiography. This truly sensational news is the biggest literary and football link-up since Vinnie Jones got Gabriel Garcia Marquez to ghostwrite his autobiography "One Hundred Years Of Putting Some Stick About."
Interestingly, though the news is only breaking today, it was tweeted by the extremely well connected Gerard Maguire all of eight days ago. I'd give him a follow if I were you.
Just announced that Roddy Doyle will write Roy Keane's life story! Guaranteed best seller I suspect!
— Gerard Maguire (@64_Wine) January 9, 2014
