Literary snobs have long dismissed Cooper’s novels as ‘chick lit’ and ‘bonkbusters’ written for silly, frilly, frivolous ladies. I could almost imagine that possibly her ideas were in the book, but written by someone else to assist at some points.

Her work is an antidote to ‘poor me’ trauma fiction (which I am also a compete sucker for but it is having a very long moment).Tony Adams, Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish are all here, and so is Howard Wilkinson, the chairman of the League Managers Association, who showed Cooper around the FA’s national football centre in Staffordshire, and introduced her to the England manager, Gareth Southgate.

With the help of the club's ravishing and adorable secretary, Tember West, and his sassy Press Officer, Dora Belvedon, he becomes increasingly fond of his riotous mix of players, despite bawling them out whenever they face defeat.She reminds us that beneath the surface people, famous or otherwise, are often hiding an emotional or physical pain that is not always visible or understood. Her Rutshire Chronicles together form a metaverse as intricately plotted as any Marvel programming phase and with a hell of a lot more humour and nuance. But ageing certainly does not seem to have dimmed his zest for life, love of beautiful women, that insane competitive streak.