Not Just a Pretty Face

Gripping autobiography of former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick, one of football’s nice guys, who fought a hidden battle with depression and anxiety due to appalling abuse from the media and fans.

Foreword by football legend Dion Dublin, Luke’s hero who became his team-mate.

As a member of the Manchester United first team, Luke found himself lining up alongside Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Roy Keane as United marched to their third successive Premier League title. But instead of enjoying what should have been the happiest of times, he shut himself away from the outside world.

Read and you will discover:

• A first-hand insight into Sir Alex Ferguson’s unique method of signing promising youngsters and the way he dealt with the more established stars • How unbeknown to his Manchester United team-mates, friends and family, Luke was battling depression and anxiety, brought on by the personal abuse he was receiving from the national media and football fans up and down the country • Luke’s time as an England under-21 international • His early life growing up in a sleepy Cambridgeshire village – although he had ambitions of becoming a professional footballer, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would play for the biggest club in the world • Details of his time at Royal Antwerp, Reading, Burnley, West Ham United, Stoke City, Norwich City, MK Dons and Cambridge United, and how he became one of only a handful of players to score in each of the top five divisions in English football

Having played more than 500 games across seven different divisions during his 15-year playing career, Luke’s tale covers all aspects of life as a professional footballer. Brutally honest and often hilarious, his story isn’t one of gloom – it’s a tale of resilience and inspiration.

© 2025 Pitch Publishing (Ebook): 9781836800583

Release date

Ebook: 12 May 2025