posted on 06 Dec 2020

Football Superstars: Rashford Rules and Van Dijk Rules by Simon Mugford and Dan Green

Welbeck Publishing bring us two new books in their accessible and informative series they are calling Football Superstars. Author, Simon Mugford and illustrator, Dan Green have teamed up to produce Rashford Rules and Van Dijk Rules and these will join the existing six titles and there are a further half dozen set for release in the New Year.

As you might guess from what I’ve already said, these books are designed to be collectables for the football-mad boy or girl who wants to build their own little library of super-stars. The style of the books is pitched somewhere between comic, football magazine and graphic novel and relies heavily on the interplay of informative, readable text and black and white line drawings that bring the whole thing to life.

I’m sure the decision to include Marcus Rashford was taken well before his reputation went stratospheric because of his fantastic campaigns around free school meals but I suspect that now plenty of people who aren’t football crazy want to know more about his life. That’s probably an unexpected bonus for the series but if it’s football you’re interested in then you know that he was chosen for his sporting talent rather than his political acumen – the guy is an incredible player.

At the other end of the pitch, popular opinion within the football world suggests that the towering Liverpool centre-half, Virgil Van Dijk is currently one of the world’s greatest defenders. His success with Liverpool has catapulted him into global stardom – so he’s certainly earned his place in the series.

Both books trace the boyhood and careers of the players as they grow from football obsessed youngsters into mature athletes playing at the very highest domestic and international levels. Obviously there’s plenty here to admire and their stories offer hope and inspiration but, and I’m glad to see this, they are not stories that have no set-backs. Both have their issues to overcome and their challenges to confront – fame and talent don’t come automatically and both young men have had to really commit to building their reputations.

The length of the books is very well judged. The information is accurate but accuracy doesn’t have to be tedious or nit-picking and Simon Mugford has got his density of text just about right – a mix of biography and sporting facts or stats. The books also follow a very similar template and that’s also a good idea for the young collector who loves to have a successful formula repeated – and what’s better than a reliable read?

I wouldn’t mind betting these books will be passed around or swapped between friends and I love that idea – anything that gets young readers looking forward to the next one in the series has just got to be a good thing.

 

Terry Potter

December 2020