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‘Emotional, insightful, beautifully written. A story of making saves and being saved. The best football book I have read this year.’ Henry Winter

Sir Alex Ferguson looked at Joe Sealey: ‘You know your dad saved my career?’ Joe replied: ‘And you saved his.’

More than three decades before, in 1990, Ferguson’s managerial career stood at its lowest ebb. After three barren years at Old Trafford, he was facing dismissal. There was just the FA Cup final left. Manchester United were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw at Wembley. For the replay, Ferguson took the gamble of his life, replacing his long-standing keeper, Jim Leighton, with Les Sealey, on loan from Luton. United won. Ferguson remained, winning another 24 major trophies.

Les Sealey would play in another three finals for United. When he died suddenly, aged 43, Les left behind a warm, witty, and detailed autobiography in the form of a Tupperware box full of cassette tapes. His death, however, threw his son, Joe, into a tormented spiral of alcoholism and drug abuse before he was dragged from the brink.

On Days Like These, longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, is the story of a remarkable double rescue. Of a football club and of a man.

‘Brings alive early 90s #MUFC & the mad genius of Ferguson’ Sam Wallace