The Guardian's secret footballer

[NorthernWhite]

It's been mooted for some time that Danny Murphy is the Secret Footballer who writes/blogs for the Guardian.

My suspicions have been confirmed today as he's posted the following:-

"Listen, nobody hates The Sun more than me but the headline today was clever. Why do you think I chose The Guardian for TSF?"

With the history of Liverpool fans not buying The Sun after Hillsborough this confirms to me it's a Liverpool fan. We all know Danny's a lifelong Liverpool fan. I guess the other alternative could be David James who's been suggested as the secret player as he was at Liverpool but I'm pretty sure it's Danny after he started writing for Yahoo last year and then stopped when the Guardian started this blog.

[FFC4Life]

The Secret Footballer also tweeted about his first run of pre-season... on the day we returned to training!

[ImperialWhite]

Definitely Murphy - almost every clue points fits.

[Fulham_Adam]

I must have missed something- how long has this secret footballer been writing for the guardian? Is he keeping his identity secret because it's controversial stuff he writes?

[ImperialWhite]

I must have missed something- how long has this secret footballer been writing for the guardian? Is he keeping his identity secret because it's controversial stuff he writes?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/series/the-secret-footballer

For about a season (the TSF started writing just as Danny Murphy stopped writing for Yahoo...). Not particularly controversial - but the idea is that he can be more honest.

[Fulham_Adam]

I must have missed something- how long has this secret footballer been writing for the guardian? Is he keeping his identity secret because it's controversial stuff he writes?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/series/the-secret-footballer

For about a season (the TSF started writing just as Danny Murphy stopped writing for Yahoo...). Not particularly controversial - but the idea is that he can be more honest.

Okay, thanks for that. Will have to follow it now, wouldn't surprise me if it was Murphy as he's probably one of the few footballers who can actually write. :022:

[Chopper]

I must have missed something- how long has this secret footballer been writing for the guardian? Is he keeping his identity secret because it's controversial stuff he writes?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/series/the-secret-footballer

For about a season (the TSF started writing just as Danny Murphy stopped writing for Yahoo...). Not particularly controversial - but the idea is that he can be more honest.

Okay, thanks for that. Will have to follow it now, wouldn't surprise me if it was Murphy as he's probably one of the few footballers who can actually write. :022:

Definitely worth reading, last season he wrote some really interesting stuff. There's also a website > http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/ < that was trying to uncover who TSF was. They came to the same conclusion.

[PokerMatt]

Might be worth bringing this back up. There's a video interview (actor's voice, hoodie and tights...) with TSF. Anyone think it's still likely to be Danny? Quite a small stature (although it's hard to tell with the angles), so I think it's more likely to be him than my friend's favourite which is Kevin Davies.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2012/aug/22/i-am-the-secret-footballer-video?CMP=twt_gu

However, reading this piece: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/10/secret-footballer-undercover-premier-league

Record transfer? Davies was at Southampton wasn't he?... I hope one day we find out!

[Oiseau]

When I met Danny last year my Dad asked him whether he was the Secret Footballer. He said that he wasn't and that if he was going to write anything, he'd always want to do it in his own name. Plus, he has a contract with Sky which complicates the situation.

I honestly believe his word and don't think it's him.

[TonyGilroy]

There's been endless speculation but no one player seems to fit ALL of the information contained in the articles.

It's either a fiction in whole or in part or a composite.

[ClarksOriginal]

When I met Danny last year my Dad asked him whether he was the Secret Footballer. He said that he wasn't and that if he was going to write anything, he'd always want to do it in his own name. Plus, he has a contract with Sky which complicates the situation.

I honestly believe his word and don't think it's him.

Quite. His wife has also told me, via Twitter, that it is definitely not him.

[HatterDon]

There's been endless speculation but no one player seems to fit ALL of the information contained in the articles.

It's either a fiction in whole or in part or a composite.

I agree totally, sir, although I do have a hard time imagining a world in which a British publication would fabricate anything dealing with sport.

[Bassey the warrior]

Most of the articles cry out out Danny Murphy but it needn't be him alone. He's not the only bright spark. Jason Roberts and Clark Carlisle are bright.

[Rhys Lightning 63]

I just need to point you to one article

"With five minutes to go of the last game of the season, I knew we were relegated. Where we had longed to hear our fans burst into sporadic fits of cheering as a welcome goal went in at the opposite end of the country, we had instead heard the unmistakable sound of collective groaning".

When has Danny Murphy been in that situation? He's never been relegated on the last day of the season

[Mr Fulham]

Most of the articles cry out out Danny Murphy but it needn't be him alone. He's not the only bright spark. Jason Roberts and Clark Carlisle are bright.

David James and Jody Craddock!

I think it's Kevin Davies though.

[Rhys Lightning 63]

Most of the articles cry out out Danny Murphy but it needn't be him alone. He's not the only bright spark. Jason Roberts and Clark Carlisle are bright.

David James and Jody Craddock!

I think it's Kevin Davies though.

David James is a shout and a half. Already has newspaper writing experience, and got relegated with West Ham back in 2003

[Mr_Moon]

I spent a few hours the other week researching this and came to the conclusion that it cannot specifically be one person.

The Secret Footballer talks about being relegated, being promoted, moving from a lower league club to the Premier League, being a Premier League club's record signing, winning back to back player of the year awards, playing against Antonio Valencia and refers to England as us. It's also not a goalkeeper.

There could only be a handful of players that fits this but the one that gives it away is that he talks about his wife and daughter a lot, whilst in other articles he talks about a long term girlfriend. It's conceivable that he might have a girlfriend and an ex wife, but the choice of language doesn't indicate that.

The nearest matches I could find were Kevin Davies, Dave Kitson, Kevin Phillips and Jimmy Bullard. Doesn't really sound like Bullard though :011:

[Harold Shand]

It's Rohan Ricketts, I thought that was common knowledge.

[Mr_Moon]

No it's not

[FC Silver Fox]

Sorry, you're all wrong. The answer is Stewart Downing.   Of course he's a secret footballer. Any idiot can see he can't ACTUALLY play the game.