Pass Master

Former Newcastle, Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam O’Brien lifts the lid on his eventful playing career and shares previously untold behind-the-scenes stories.

Written with veteran journalist Jimmy Geoghegan.

Liam grew up in working-class Dublin, but he didn’t become a full-time professional until signing for Manchester United at age 22. Two years later, despite being offered a new contract by Alex Ferguson, Liam made the brave call to leave Old Trafford and join struggling Newcastle United instead.

Read this gripping memoir to discover:

• What life was like at Manchester United in the 1980s • What it was like to play under Sir Alex Ferguson as he rebuilt Manchester United • What it was like to play for the Magpies as Kevin Keegan sparked a dramatic change in the club’s fortunes – to this day, Newcastle fans still sing a song about Liam and the famous goal he scored against Sunderland • An insider account of playing under Jack Charlton, Jim McLoughlin and Johnny King as well as Ferguson and Keegan • The story of his spells playing for Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, Tranmere Rovers and the Republic of Ireland • What day-to-day life in football was like for a player in the 1980s, before the game was flooded by money • How Liam fought back from a serious leg injury that threatened his career, and how he made a new life for himself, in and outside football, after his playing days were over

A must-read for Manchester United and Newcastle fans, this is a story of 1980s and 90s football, of exhilarating highs but also crushing lows.

© 2025 Pitch Publishing (Ebook): 9781836801238

Release date

Ebook: 6 October 2025