Audiobooks by James McClean

The Walls: The no-holds-barred autobiography

"Move aside, Zlatan and Roy Keane: James McClean's The Walls is the most honest, intimate, revealing football autobiography of our time. By the time he was 11, he knew how to make a petrol bomb. And yet, when he went on his first trip as an under-19 international footballer, he was self-conscious because he didn't know how to use a knife and fork. In The Walls, James McClean has produced a magnificently detailed, honest and revealing account of a life lived between worlds, the places that talent can take you, the sometimes crushing pressures of fame, and the joys and costs of standing up for your beliefs. McClean tells the story of his Derry childhood: the 'cheevies' and riots, the street football, and the puzzling remarks people sometimes made about his origins. He was a gifted footballer, good enough to play for his beloved Derry City at 19; but rarely has a player risen as suddenly and unexpectedly as McClean did – from the League of Ireland to starting and scoring goals in the Premier League in the space of a year. At Sunderland, McClean's decision not to wear the Remembrance Day poppy went unnoticed in 2011, but caused a firestorm in 2012 – changing his life and that of his family forever. McClean explains the origins of his stance, the odd history of the poppy in English football, and the differing ways the matter was handled by his clubs over the years. If The Walls is a passionate articulation of McClean's identity and values, it is also a remarkably open-hearted exploration of his weaknesses and obsessions. It includes laugh-out-loud funny accounts of his misadventures with expensive cars, his addiction to football boots, and his struggles, as a young footballer living alone, with household appliances. It also includes searching discussions of his struggles to control his rage, his obsessional eating and training regimens, and his relationships with managers. It brings us inside his twelve years (and 103 caps) with the Republic of Ireland, and a club career that had a late flourish as he helped lead Wrexham up the divisions. The book includes the voices of McClean's wife, his agent and other people close to him, whose perspectives often differ fascinatingly from his own. The Walls is a sensationally entertaining read, and one of the most deeply engaging books ever written about professional sport. © James McClean 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

James McClean (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Wired Our Own Way: An Anthology of Irish Autistic Voices

"A moving and insightful anthology of personal essays by Irish autistic adults. Wired Our Own Way: An Anthology of Irish Autistic Voices is the first collection of personal essays written by autistic Irish adults. One in twenty-seven Irish school children are now diagnosed as autistic, and autism is entering the general population’s consciousness much louder than it did in the past. As understanding about autism spreads, more and more adults are now finding out that they are autistic. This anthology shines a light on how important autism identification is, and how the label of ‘autism’ can enhance ones self-understanding and self-compassion. Throughout this collection of essays, the writers highlight how the lived-experience of autism varies drastically from one autistic person to another, and show that there is no one way to be autistic. From meltdowns to mental health, from being diagnosed in early childhood to being diagnosed in late adulthood, from cultural perceptions of autism to employment, the essays explore the huge range of diversity within the autistic Irish experience. Contributors include: Jen Wallace, Liam Coulson, Nuala O’Connor, Jane Cadman, Eric Crowley, James McClean, Roisin Riley, Fiacre Ryan, Justin Bakker, Naoise Dolan, Colm Brady, Freya von Noorden Pierce, Stefanie Preissner, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Emil E Osinski, Stuart Neilson, Caoimhe O’Gorman, Adam Harris, Priyangee Guha, Mike McGrath-Bryan, Aisling Walsh, Cliona Kelliher."

Adam Harris, Aisling Walsh, Caoimhe O’Gorman, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Cliona Kelliher, Colm Brady, Emil E Osinski, Eric Crowley, Fiacre Ryan, Freya von Noorden Pierce, James McClean, Jane Cadman, Jen Wallace, Jennifer Poyntz, Justin Bakker, Liam Coulson, Mike McGrath-Bryan, Naoise Dolan, Nuala O’Connor, Priyangee Guha, Roisin Riley, Stefanie Preissner, Stuart Neilson (Author), Liam Gerrard, Shelley Atkinson (Narrator)

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