Remember thinking it was Danny Murphy when I first started reading it.

Most of the comments on the articles tend to think it's Danny Murphy. I used to think it was Kevin Davies when I first started reading it. Can't remember what it was exactly but a few things written over a few weeks made me think him.

In one article recently about the FA Cup 3rd round draw he mentioned a few potential clues such as having played for a lower league team at Anfield and some team that he would have played against in that league at the time being drawn against a Premiership team this season. In the comments someone went through everything mentioned and worked out it could be Jason Roberts as he played at Anfield for a 3rd division side in 97/98 or some season that far back, and another team in that division that season was this season playing someone big etc.

The clues say he he isn't black and has played with Balotelli before though

I'm sure if people were getting to close he'd just throw out a misleading clue. So I wouldnt hang onto every word.

Could be a series of experiences from a number of players rather than the same one every week.

Nice guess Bandy. Has to be someone with a mouth who's fairly opinionated and a bit of a snake in the grass / loose-lipped, and it's a white guy. Ireland ticks the boxes ...

Claudius wrote:

david bentley

nah mate, he's gotta be a reasonable smart guy.

The Guardian would try to avoid a player who will make them look like idiots once revealed, you'd think.

7 months later

Anyone read the book? Not a big reader but tempted to get this. Originally i thought this was just the work of a writer/journalist pretending to be a footballer but it now seems fairly certain to be Dave Kitson. I wonder if he'll admit it and whether he'll keep writing or not.

I've read it. Haven't read the column, so I don't know if it's just the same stories or new stuff, but it's an ok read. Not terribly well written, and seemingly a bit rushed, but still not to bad for a footballer.

Ive always wondered who the secret footballer is in his monthly article in the four four two magazine.

Kitson seems to fit many of the clubes, but a few weeks ago he wrote a whole column about his experiences playing for what sound like a reasonably big club on the continent. Whole story sounded like Owen at Real Madrid but then he doesn't fit many of the other clues.

He's finished with The Guardian this season and has his own website: http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/
Also includes blogs from the Secret Pundit who is also apparently a current premiership player, as well as a secret physio and journalist.

5 days later

True it doesn't seem like one single player fits all the clues given unless a lot of them are made up. Often I read one column and think "it must be ..." but then most of the clues already given don't fit.