My debut book, Football’s Champions of Change, has been nominated for a top prize.

It has been shortlisted in the Children’s Sports Book of the Year category at the 2024 Sports Book Awards.

The book tells the story of the struggles faced by black and ethnic minority footballers throughout the history of the game, how many overcame discrimination to become the inspiration behind campaigns to change attitudes.

I wrote the book throughout 2022 with expert guidance from editor Stella Caldwell and commissioning editor Suhel Ahmed and it was brilliantly illustrated by Laura Greenan.

I was also delighted to persuade the scorer of the first Premier League goal Brian Deane to agree to write the foreword.

So, time to dust off the dinner suit and prepare for a swanky awards ceremony at the Oval cricket ground. June 6th is the date. Fingers crossed!