Paul Ferris

Born in Lisburn during the Troubles, Paul Ferris was a teenage footballing prodigy, becoming Newcastle United's youngest-ever player in 1982, only for injury to ensure his promise went unfulfilled. He later returned to the club as a physiotherapist before earning a Master's degree and qualifying as a barrister. But the lure of football was always strong and he went back for a third spell at Newcastle, as Head of the Medical Department, again working closely with a host of big-name players and managers. Paul's first book, The Boy on the Shed, became a bestseller and won multiple awards including the Sunday Times Sports Book of The Year. Paul also writes novels and runs a successful health and fitness business, Speedflex. He lives in Prudhoe, Northumberland.