Good morning. The Secret Footballer will be online at 11.30am to answer your questions.

Every question answered will be awarded with a free copy of his new book I Am The Secret Footballer and one of our Secret Footballer T-shirts. If you have any questions, drop them into the comments section below.

In the meantime, here's some footage of The Secret Footballer on video for the very first time, and a review of his book by Alex Clark.

The Secret Footballer is known for his openness, as shown by this extract from his new book, but he is not going to give away his identity today; he is here to provide a unique insight into the game.

11.35am: The Secret Footballer is now in the comments sections answering questions.

bartoj asks about his motivation for writing the column: "Why do you feel it's important to show the 'other side' of the footballing world to the general public?"

TSF replies:

At this stage of my career I have become frustrated at hearing things that I know to be incorrect. I heard these same things well over ten years ago when I started my career and that has become a sense of huge frustration for me personally. I wouldn't say that it is important that I share them, I think it might be more for my own peace of mind and sanity as much as anything else.

11.35am: Danamo asks about wages: "In what year did you think wages reached a level where the short career argument became invalid? If all this had never happened footballers made an average wage, do you think you'd be happy?"

TSF replies:

Well, I suppose there is an argument that wages were only going to go one way when Jimmy Hill lobbied to abolish the maximum wage because the demand has always been there for football, especially in this country. However, we all know that the real reason for enormous wages is a combination of Sky TV and the inception of the Premier League so if I had to say a year it would be 1992. Regarding the second part of the question, it is impossible to tell. I can, however, point to the things that would not have been there without the money. There is a certain pressure to maintain the income as the seasons are slipping by and a feeling of butterflies in the stomach as you are running out of time. And I think for a lot of players this can be applied to, for example, the adulation, the camaraderie etc. Fortunately I have always had an exit plan in place but so many don't.

11.38am: GlasgowGooner asks about the Premier League's imports: "I've always been curious why players who come to the premier league from Europe seem much more sophisticated/rounded Individuals. I'm thinking Cantona, Zola, Di Matteo to name just a few. Does the Secret Footballer think there is a genuine difference in outlook/attitude, and if yes, can he suggest why?"

TSF replies:

A friend of mine that is a journo is adamant that Scandinavian players are the friendliest and most approachable and I can certainly agree with that. It does seem as if players from abroad (not all of course) are well rounded and more capable of dealing with the spotlight. A foreign friend of mine at one club I played for used to think that this was because they would make it in to teams at a young age in so called lesser leagues before coming to the big European leagues, and they also knew that they would be going home one day which enabled them to look at life outside of the bubble.

11.40am: matthewlgrant wants to know what the future holds for the Secret Footballer: "Will there be more columns, or is the book the end of it all?"

TSF replies:

Can you ask the editor for me? And then let me know!

11.42am: Rob Crespo asks: "Do your team mates know you're the secret footballer? If so, what do they think of what you're doing and how has it affected your relationship with them?"

TSF replies:

A couple of players do know. One is involved in the secret footballer website and the other has since retired. It obviously isn't the sort of thing that I discuss in the dressing room, not because I would be worried about what they thought but because word would soon get out in to the public domain, and that would have ruined the columns and the book.

11.47am: marcostanleyfogg asks about the reading habits of footballers: "Do you know any high-profile footballer who reads the Guardian or high-brow novels? If so, is he despised for his 'intellectualism'? Thanks."

TSF replies:

I can only think of one player I have played with that reads a broadsheet and he certainly wouldn't be a player that you would have expected to read The Times. The most popular paper is The Sun, followed by The Star but even then it is literally a 30-second flick through. Any player that reads on the bus or the plane is reading a novel, lots of the foreign players read novels. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was passed around the coach last year at the request of the players. Unheard of!

11.49am: AntLivsey asks about football boots: "In one of your columns you talked about the smell of a brand new football boot and the feelings it brought back. I still remember my first boots. Puma Play-offs! Yours?"

TSF replies:

Golas. Everyone on our estate had Golas, moulded of course.

11.51am: GhostWiper wants to know why TSF doesn't have better things to do: "How come you're not at training this morning?"

TSF replies:

Wednesday is nearly always our day off. Read the book!

11.56am: GeorgeAllwell asks about tactics and insubordination: "Do players ever, against the managers wishes, blatantly and flagrantly ignore the tactical instructions of a manager in a game; and consequently, do managers really 'lose a dressing room'?"

TSF replies:

Thanks. In reply to your question the most common flagrance of a manager's instructions is from set pieces. Sometimes a player just needs to go with his gut instinct of where the ball will be delivered and where the opportunity for a strike a goal may lie. We all have individually tailored runs but if a team is in desperate need of a goal in the final minutes you might find that the players go with their instincts. As for losing a dressing room, it most definitely does happen and it will come on the back of a manager that changes too much too soon or a manager that just isn't up to the job and is out of his depth. The players will lose respect and stop trying as hard.

12.01pm: GhostWiper seems to have caught out The Secret Footballer on the timing of his day off: "It's Thursday today. Who ever said footballers are thick?"

TSF replies:

I cannot believe you have gone for that one, you wouldn't last 2 seconds in the dressing room! haha

12.03pm: iwouldprefernotto asks about pre-match preparation: "Like all sportsmen, footballers are prone to superstitions and strange pre-match (or, in the case of David Luiz, in-match) rituals. What's the strangest one you've personally witnessed?"

TSF replies:

A lot of the African players have some interesting rituals. One African player I played with had two tiny pieces of cardboard wrapped with tape that he would slide down his shinpads. It was something to do with warding off bad luck.

12.06pm: atrack thinks he has unearthed another clue: "It looks like you're left-footed in the video - are you, or is that another red-herring?"

TSF replies:

Are you suggesting I'm one footed! How dare you! no, both are as bad as each other!

12.10pm: Jonchristophe "How would you like to be remembered in the game?"

TSF replies:

I think anybody that knows me would understand that it is not important to me if I am remembered or not. I am uncomfortable with being remembered as a footballer anyway because there is so much else to do. Not that I haven't done anything that is worth remembering - that's an occupational hazard!

12.12pm: tobyarup asks about the impact of London 2012 on football: "Can the Olympic spirit change the behavior of footballers, managers and even some fans ?"

TSF replies:

I really thought that there could be some residual euphoria left over that could creep across into the football season. Then I saw Ashley Cole chop a City player down in the community shield and tell the referee what he thought of his decision to award a freekick - and I got that sinking feeling again...

12.16pm: Thewelshxabi asks: "Looking back at moments in your career in this column, would you have done anything differently ? What advice would you have given yourself at the age of 17?"

TSF replies:

Good question. Hindsight is not a 'wonderful thing' as the saying goes, it is pointless in my view especially in football because even if you learn from a mistake in the early part of your career it isn't like you can benefit from it at 40 or 50, like other jobs. But if I was advising a 17-year-old now I would tell them not to be discouraged by rejection. I know lots of players that were rejected as kids that are now very successful footballers.

12.19pm: JohnBarnesRap asks about relationships in the dressing room: "What sort of things do footballers tend to get ripped for in the dressing room? Shirking challenges? Songs against them by the crowd? Night-before photos in the press?"

TSF replies:

Replying to questions that have an obvious answer plus... Dressing badly, especially dodgy shoes. These will be tied from the ceiling or crossbar for everyone to see. Dressing well. An expensive jacket will be autographed by the entire squad when the player is out of the changing room.

12.29pm: PlantHead asks: "How do you handle the fans criticism, especially on the football pitch. Do you even hear the negative or positive chanting when you are playing?"

TSF replies:

We can certainly hear some of the things that are shouted, maybe if the game goes dead or you happen to be playing at one of the bigger stadiums where there are often lulls in the atmosphere as the fans wait for an inevitable victory. I can understand that fans get frustrated with players but I have to feel for some players that come on to a chorus of groaning, how does that help?

12.33pm: neil_monahan asks about the best way to move up the pyramid: "As a young footballer would you join a big club knowing the chances of first-team football are slim but get better coaching or join a smaller club where breaking into the first team might be easier?"

TSF replies:

I think there are many pros and cons to signing for a big club as a kid. On the plus side you will always be known as a player that "came through" at Manchester United or Arsenal which generally means you will get a good move when your regular playing career starts. The obvious downside is that the competition is incredibly fierce and today, you really do have to be fairly exceptional. Josh McEachran is a great example, he is undoubtably a talented player, similar to Wilshire but he simply cannot get near Chelsea's starting 11 as they spend tens of millions on players that don't have as far to go to become regular first teamers.

12.38pm: bartletsjacket asks about depression: "In your most recent comment you were very open about receiving treatment for depression. Is this something that you are open with your colleagues about – not specifically players but club staff in general? I work in an environment very different to football and I know from experience that there is a huge stigma about this but I wonder whether it is viewed differently in a working environment where so much emphasis is placed on 'mental preparation'."

TSF replies:

A couple of players have seen me taking my pills before training and asked what they are (probably in fear that they are missing out on something) and so I have simply told them. They are always completely nonplussed. Club staff are generally excellent, after all, my performances affect their positions at the club but they are also looking out for me because, more often than not, we are friends. In light of some of the high profile cases the understanding within football is now pretty good, we have recognised that this is happening rather than pretending it isn't which was a major barrier even a few years ago. Interesting to see the former Norwich player Darren Eadie has set up a clinic to help treat depression in football specifically.

12.40pm: snuffy asks about motivation against disliked players:"In competing with other players, club mates or opponents, how much does hate or dislike for them motivate you?"

TSF replies:

Hate is a strong word but I take your point. I have lost count of the amount of times that i have thought to myself, 'if we could get rid of him, him and him, this would be a great club'. I am certain that other players have said thought that about me too. I think it can be a motivation to get in the team but I think that is where we draw the line, it's not as if we hope that they go off the road on the way home from training or anything!

12.47pm: BreadClub asks about favourite football grounds: "Do you have a preference for type of stadium to play in? As a fan I prefer old traditional grounds over the soulless idenitkit bowls clubs seem to favour these days."

TSF replies:

I know lots of players that thrive on the intimacy of the older, city based stadiums such as White Hart Lane and Goodison Park. I tend to lean that way too but sometimes when you are playing at the huge, brand new grounds you can't help but be impressed. The Emirates and The Etihad are both fantastic stadiums to play football in and Arsenal even do chicken nuggets in the changing room after! Bonus!

12.53pm: Thanks for all your questions. The Secret Footballer has signed off for now. He will be back in 45 minutes or so.

While he is away feel free to take a look at the I Am the Secret Football book, which is also available on Kindle, and The Secret Footballer T-shirts.

Thanks for all your contributions. We have more than enough questions now, so The Secret Footballer will only be able to deal with questions already posted.

1.59pm: As you may have noticed, The Secret Footballer is not back yet. He should be with us soon. While waiting for his arrival, why not take part in our footballers' secrets quiz and win some Premier League tickets.

2.49pm: The Secret Footballer is coming back shortly. Sorry for the delay. Perhaps he's off listening to today's edition of Football Weekly.

3.17pm: CNN ran this interview with The Secret Footballer last week. It's well worth a read.

Here are a few highlights:

How did the column come about and has it changed your opinion of the media?

"Some time ago I was turned on to a column in The Financial Times called 'The Secret Agent', who worked in London sourcing real estate for the very wealthy. I became hooked on the idea of the column as much as anything else. His writing is excellent but I could never shake the thought of how huge a secret footballer column could be."

How would you describe the relationship between sports stars and the media?

"A friend of mine who runs one of the big weekly gossip magazines once told me that her publication goes out of their way to place David and Victoria Beckham on their front cover every week. The sales of the magazine increase significantly, regardless of what the story is about. In fact, she said in the absence of a real story they will simply "generate" one just to get their picture on the cover. None of that is new, but what has changed is the amount of "celebrities" this practice now extends to. It seems every company wants to affiliate itself with a celebrity and, whether they like it or not, footballers are some of the biggest global celebrities around."

3.41pm: The news from the secret bunker in which TSF is blogging is that he will be back with us in 15 minutes. Here is the Guardian review of I Am The Secret Footballer:

There is nothing like a concealed identity to drive people wild. Aside from all those Shakespearean kings going among their people disguised as commoners, it's the basis of the classic murder mystery, in which the governing idea is that someone with whom you thought you were familiar is capable of lethal actions, right under your nose. Just as this unnerves, it also bewitches: what if you were able to unravel the clues and solve the mystery? What would that say about you? As much as I enjoy the Guardian's Secret Footballer column, which has been running in the paper for the past 18 months or so, I must confess that I get even greater pleasure out of occasionally checking in with the website whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk. It is there that the full obsessional nuttiness of football fans (and, by extension, of people in general, although that is debatable) is revealed. In this forum, each tiny piece of information, carefully tabulated and cross-referenced, about the unnamed Premier League footballer is analysed and subjected to verification, having been broken down into the categories "Main clues", "Other clues" and "Clues from his tweets".

4.38pm: While we're on here waiting for The Secret Footballer to return, it seems that Manchester United have been trying to sign "Zorro" and QPR have entered talks about signing Internazionale goalkeeper Júlio César. Whether or not the Secret Footballer has been transfered remains to be seen.

5.28pm: The Secret Footballer has taken much longer than expected with his other promotion commitments. His schedule is very hectic this week but we will give it another few minutes to see if we can find a slot and bring him back online to answer a few more questions.

5.59pm: The Secret Footballer is back online!

6.01pm: Definatelynotashark gets lyrical: "If you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?

Would your palms be sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy?

Would there be vomit on your sweater already, perhaps your mother's spaghetti?

Would you be nervous, but on the surface look calm and ready?

Would you drop bombs, but keep on forgetting?"

TSF replies:

Eminem stands on the shoulders of giants, namely Dylan, who is surprisingly small when you get close up.

6.05pm: dholliday asks about I Am The Secret Footballer: "Do you think would sell better if you attached your name to it? How is your book selling, or what are the projected sales, in comparison with the sales of autobiographies from named Premiership footballers?"

TSF replies:

Obviously I hope it sells but, hand on heart, its about doing something different. I wanted to write a book that people haven't seen before, I know that I've never read a book like it before. I think there is an important point here, writing under anonymity allows the reader to asses my ramblings without the prejudice that they might have towards a player that they know has played for a rival team or a person that doesn't perhaps have any kind of profile outside of his own club. Football is extremely tribal and it can provoke a reaction that isn't born of logic but, instead, allowing your heart to rule over your head. So even if a pundit has something interesting to say, he may not always be able to penetrate a persons loathing of them. Thats how I dressed it up to the Guardian anyway and they went for it!

6.16pm: yourtvsaid asks about the difference in talent required to get to the very top: "Can you be an average player with the right circle of friends and carve a career out at the top, and likewise be a great player but not have the connections to get a chance?"

TSF replies:

Sir, never underestimate the power of a well connected agent, or, 'the Carlsberg agent' as we call him. Clearly, there are players at every club that are there because the agent has made promises to that manager that he will have a chance to sign the agents star player if he just takes this other one for a year or two first. To answer your other point, there are many examples of players that have made it all the way from bottom to top as you quite rightly point out and I think that is because many players are so hungry to get to the top now. There is a clear agenda in the media that football, outside of the Premier League, does not exist; the column inches alone back that up and many papers have pulled reporters from games outside of the Premier League altogether. For the players, they want to get to the Premier League, it is the only place they want to be. Some just want to say that they've done it, others are fiercely determined to get there and stay there. Talent wise the gulf is huge but there is no accounting for what can happen in a one-off game, that's why cup football can be so entertaining. I think there is still something to be said for masking talent with hard work (in fact I know there is) but I am convinced that the shift is towards technically superior players, even the holding midfielders in the Premier League are now extremely confident with the ball at their feet.

6.27pm: kevvykev is loyal to the Guardian, but wants to know what paper The Secret Footballer reads: "Are there any particular football journalists who you genuinely like and that you think have genuine insight?"

TSF replies:

Simon Kuper writes for the FTweekend about anything and everything and occasionally he'll write a fantastic article on football. Last weekend I think he had the front page of the Life&Arts section, if you missed it then try to find it because it was brilliant. I read his columns and I immediately feel competition and think, 'I'm going to write something better than that'. I don't think I've managed it yet but he has certainly helped me. I wont say he's wasted at the FT because clearly he isn't but I'd love to see his football writings find their way in to a paper that has a big football following such as the Guardian, I think he could provide a huge amount of new and interesting insight for, shall we say, proper football fans? (there goes a career at the FT).

6.31pm:welshd03 asks: "In a parallel universe, if footballers were only paid an average wage, would you still be one?"

TSF replies:

I'd play football because I love it, when I finish playing professionally I'd still like to play at the weekends with any team that will have me, no mater what the standard. There's nothing like a game of football, even better when peoples jobs aren't on the line!

6.39pm: benjiinwood asks about wages: "Apart from, naturally, ensuring a paycheck comes in each month, is the dressing room concerned with the financial state of the club and whether the owner is a 'fit and proper person'?"

TSF replies:

Only when it goes wrong. Its the same in a lot of industries I imagine – banking, the media – everyone has their hands out for as long as they can until somebody (hopefully not you) gets caught out. I am sure that the Rangers and Portsmouth players are asking how their clubs could have got in to the mess that they have, then again, I know that nobody at Chelsea or Manchester City is asking, 'what happens if our owners suddenly get bored?' I have only ever heard a group of players discussing the financial situation of the owners once after we hadn't signed any players for a while, that's it.

6.52pm: gaivota asks about the influx of players to England: "Why are there so many foreign players in the Premier league. Are they really so much better?"

TSF replies:

In some cases. But mostly, it's because foreign players are cheaper. Despite everybody in the game knowing that English players can often be inferior to that of their foreign counterpart, the transfer fees paid for them and their wages remain excessive in comparison. Also, the pool is smaller, if I wanted to sign a new midfielder then I have a handful of English options or, alternatively, the rest of the world to choose from. The model at Wigan is interesting, they clearly have a policy and a scouting network that extends primarily to Latin America and South America. They feel that they can buy cheap players that are capable of performing in the Premier League and can be polished up and sold on at a hefty profit. South American teams are aware of this and charge a sell on fee. in order to maintain the supply of players to Europe they will push already technically sound players of 16-17 in to their first teams so that they can sell them when they hit 21 after which the player will have enough experience and (importantly) international caps to secure him a work permit (I think Neymar was 15 when I first heard of him). There is always more to it than meets the eye.

6.54pm: legaff does not hold back: "Whoever you are, I am going to be immensely disappointed when I find out it's you."

TSF replies:

hahahahahahaahahahaaa

7.01pm: FlashMyGirth wonders if TSF adopts his tactics: "Have you ever made a deal with the guy you are marking to stop trying because you are both knackered? I often try this."

TSF replies:

I remember playing once and it was so hot, an opponent next to me said: 'Tell the ref to just blow the fucking whistle, its a draw, everyones happy.' That was when I realised that he had had enough and I might be able to get the upper hand. Unfortunately I was absolutely knackered and from that moment both of us barely moved for the last five minutes of the game. I think that without saying it, we had both agreed to give the other one an easy ride.

7.07pm: Mystaree asks about personal messages on players' shirts: "Do footballers change the message for each match or if they don't score ido they wear the same one until they score?"

TSF replies:

It depends what the message is, some players will have a specific message on the off chance that they score and then bin it if they don't. An African player that I know wanted to wish happy birthday to somebody once. Two months that person waited.

7.12pm: Edantal asks about matters of the heart: "With all the women that approach footballers and so many taking the bait, along with all the travelling and other aspects of a footballers lifestyle, why do so many appear to get married and have children so early compared to mere mortals?"

TSF replies:

In my view and going on what I've seen, the player is the most popular boy in school or in a group of friends and he gets together with the best looking girl at school or that group of friends, they go out for a few years and then they get married. Shortly after that the boy breaks in to a first team and buys an expensive gentleman's washbag, then he goes on his first Christmas party and then a lightbulb suddenly goes off in his head. That is when it all starts to go wrong for the girl. Not always of course but pretty often.

7.15pm: Bonbonbonbons asks about gaming: "Do you play video games and do yourself or other players use the ratings games like FIFA or Football Manager give as dressing room ammunition?"

TSF replies:

No, but if somebody gets a mark of four or below in the paper it goes straight on the status update of our mobile phone group chats.

7.35pm: PaulWilks asks about the well-kept secret: "Are you concerned that sharp-eyed people might read your book/columns and gradually whittle down the long list of footballers to work out your identity?"

TSF replies:

As much as anything else, my biggest concern was that I'd be outed in the first few weeks and that would have ruined the whole column and it would have made The Guardian look silly. I had promised them that I could deliver interesting columns in this format and Paul and Ian made the decision to back me. I owed it to both of them to protect my anonymity. If I go back to the Guardian now with another idea then they will know that I am trustworthy and that I can deliver what I say I can deliver.

7.48pm: DaveMB1 asks about vices affecting footballers: "What is the worst example of excessive "superstar" behaviour you've encountered? I've heard of a football chucking £50 notes in the air in a nightclub. Does this sort of thing happen? Do you find that footballers, more so than other professions, don't need to 'grow up' because of money and adulation?"

TSF replies:

Answering the last part first, I think that some elements of our excessive behaviour in a nightclub are tolerated by the owners because a certain amount of patronage can be very welcome. If a footballer throws £50 notes in the air, then that's good for their business. Most of the people that were there to see it will surely be there the following next week. For me, it isn't necessarily the bad behaviour as a whole, it is more about not knowing when to stop. That is certainly what I have witnessed throughout my career. Some players are great value on a night out and then right at the last moment they go too far as their audience demands something even more bizarre and outrageous and that is what ends up in the papers the next day.

7.58pm: violet85 asks about reputations: "Do some players' reputations, such as diving, mouthing off, bad tackler, precede them? Do you think managers and players play on that, and are officials are less tolerant?"

TSF replies:

Reputations can secure transfer moves, they can get you off a ban at the FA and they can help to sweet talk referees. They can also have the reverse effect in all of the previous examples! I certainly think that referees are vulnerable to players reputations, I have seen some referees crumble when Terry and co are crowding around them.

8.01pm: StephenAllis1 asks: "Playing Sunday league football, I know lads who are absolutely top class in training. But for some reason, they're always rubbish on match days. Have you experienced players like this?"

TSF replies:

Definitely, every club has them. They are called the 'five-a-side player'. They are world-beaters in small sided games, you simply cant get the ball from them and their passing is excellent. As soon as they are on a big pitch it is like playing with ten men. I couldn't tell you why though!

8.11pm: 7.53pm: The Secret Footballer has signed off:

Thank you to everyone that posted a question today and I really hope that you enjoy the book too. Apologies that I couldn't answer everything but you can continue to post questions at: www.thesecretfootballer.com or follow me on Twitter: @tsfguardian I will answer them all eventually! I did say that I would carry on tomorrow but apparently the Guardian have run out of T-shirts! Thanks

TSF

Thanks for all your questions today. Feel free to keep debating in the comments section below; and enjoy the book, Kindle edition and T-shirt. Thanks.