I only wanted to play football

Last updated : 18 January 2010 By Les Roberts

O'Keefe was signed by from Mossley by Gordon Lee for £25,000 in 1979.

He went on to make 40 appearances for the Blues and scored six goals before being sold on to Wigan Athletic for £60,000 in 1981.

O'Keefe was sold as Gordon Lee made way for Howard Kendall to take the reigns at Everton and O'Keefe himself made way for Kendall to bring his own players in.

It was the summer of the magnificent 7 when Kendall signed Alan Ainscow, Jim Arnold, Alan Biley, Mick Ferguson, Mike Walsh, Neville Southall and Mickey Thomas...hardly Brosnon, Brynner and McQueen!

Anyway, for more details on Eamonn O'Keefe's book you can visit his website here

Or, while you're here, here's the official line on the autobiography...

 

“… I Only Wanted To Play Football” tells the story of how Eamonn was raised in North Manchester in England and how, despite many setbacks, he remained true to both his grass roots and his ambition.
There were fractured legs, broken contracts and shattered dreams. Eamonn was interrogated by the police when he was placed under suspicion of being involved in a “terrorist plot” and he was also caught up in some bitter disputes with the FA, FIFA and the FAI. 
Another day found Eamonn and his (Blackpool) team mates all sitting happily in a skip in Spain celebrating their promotion from fourth division to third…
Eamonn played football, in both England an Ireland, at almost every level: non-league, first, third and fourth division (as was), International (Republic of Ireland) and abroad, for the Al Hilal Football Club in Saudi Arabia.  Every level, in fact, with the notable exception being the second division - he explains the reason for this as: 
“I don’t do second…”

“… I Only Wanted To Play Football” tells the story of how Eamonn was raised in North Manchester in England and how, despite many setbacks, he remained true to both his grass roots and his ambition.There were fractured legs, broken contracts and shattered dreams. Eamonn was interrogated by the police when he was placed under suspicion of being involved in a “terrorist plot” and he was also caught up in some bitter disputes with the FA, FIFA and the FAI. Another day found Eamonn and his (Blackpool) team mates all sitting happily in a skip in Spain celebrating their promotion from fourth division to third…Eamonn played football, in both England an Ireland, at almost every level: non-league, first, third and fourth division (as was), International (Republic of Ireland) and abroad, for the Al Hilal Football Club in Saudi Arabia.  Every level, in fact, with the notable exception being the second division - he explains the reason for this as: “I don’t do second…”