The Secret Footballer is English, has played for at least two Premier League clubs and was once relegated on the last day of the season.
He grew up on a rural council estate and was a late starter in organised football.
He says he considered suicide after the end of his career but his writing steered him away from alcohol abuse.
says he wants to reveal his identity but fears being sued for the content of his work.
[1] Former Reading and Stoke City striker Dave Kitson has been written about as being a 'leading contender' as The Secret Footballer.