Standing Tall

Standing at six feet three inches tall, Craig Short is anything but short. Born in Yorkshire, Short was the archetypal English defender; strong, commanding in the air and a leader of men, who captained every side he played for and whose bravery endeared him to the supporters of his many clubs. From non-league Scarborough under Neil Warnock, this book tells the story of how a humble, hard-working northern lad realised his dreams by reaching the Premier League, playing in Europe and running out on to the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium. Short became the most expensive defender in British football when he signed for GBP2.5million for Derby County, and he would go on to share a room with Gary Speed at Everton, lead a mutiny against manager Walter Smith and play for his hero Graeme Souness at Blackburn Rovers. Following his retirement, Short has worked in coaching for his former clubs Notts County, Blackburn Rovers and now Derby County, and on a sailing business in Windermere. But nothing could have prepared him for the biggest fight of his life: a battle with HMRC that almost cost him everything.