My Turn: The Autobiography

Described as 'the European Pelé', Johan Cruyff was one of the greatest players in football history. Throughout his career he was synonymous with Total Football, a style of play in which every player could play in any position on the pitch, and his philosophy of the game is the stuff of legend. Today, that philosophy lives on in teams across Europe from Ajax to Barcelona, and in the players who learnt from him - from Pep Guardiola and Marco van Basten to Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta.

In My Turn, Cruyff tells the story his life, from street football in Amsterdam to signing for Ajax aged ten, where he would win eight national titles and three European Cups before moving to Barcelona in 1973 for a world-record fee. There he won La Liga in his first season, and was named European Footballer of the Year. In total he won the Ballon d'Or three times, and led the Dutch national team to the final of the 1974 World Cup, receiving the player of the tournament award.

After retiring in 1984, he became a hugely successful manager of Ajax and then Barcelona, leading the Catalan giants to their first European Cup, with a young Pep Guardiola in his team. In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century, and came second behind Pelé in the World Player of the Century poll. While on the field and in the dugout Cruyff was in total control, away from the game his life was more turbulent, including a kidnapping attempt and bankruptcy, and here he discusses it all with his trademark wit and honesty.

Cruyff's death in March 2016 brought world football to a standstill, and generated an unprecedented outpouring of emotion. Johan Cruyff was a brilliant teacher and outspoken analyst of the game he loved and changed forever. My Turn is the full story of his unparalleled career and the philosophy that shaped not only his game, but that of generations of footballers, managers and the fans who follow them, and is a vital part of his incredible legacy.