Book Review Agent Gerry; The Autobiography By Gerry Carlile Routine Publications £10.
GERRY Carlile is a man who has made a successful career 'talking the talk' and, as such, it should come as little surprise that for his autobiography he has dispensed of the services of a ghost writer for the telling of his tale.
Ireland's best-known football agent, Carlile is a man who has made his own luck in carving out contacts and contracts for some well-known, and other less well-known, players.
At the core of the story is a message to the reader, particularly younger readers, that almost anything is possible - provided one is prepared to put in the hard yards and plan strategically. No small element of luck, charm and brass neck is also required.
This is exemplified in countless anecdotes, but particularly in a ruse that sees Carlile and a friend gain access to the most exclusive areas of St James' Park, simply by claiming to be Shay Given's cousins.
The ease with which the west Belfast man later works himself into the company of - and later friendship of - John Hartson highlights something important to the reader.
In debunking the perception that footballers are aloof superstars, Carlile talks about their qualities as people as much as there their on-field attributes. As such, it is clear that his greatest skill is identifying what people want, whether it be a footballer seeking a deal or a punter looking for an evening out at in his restaurant.
Part of this appears to be adhering to the time honoured cliche of 'don't forget where you came from', something it is unlikely Carlile could be accused of doing.
At 177 fully indexed pages, including a number of personal photographs, this is a book that can be comfortably and enjoyably completed over a cold and wet winter weekend, making it an ideal stocking filler.