Have you ever wanted to experience the intimate highs and lows of an Australian footballer playing in England? Then Texi Smith has the books for you.
Jarrod Black began as a labour of love over six years ago for the Aussie author and lifelong Newcastle United fan and it’s now morphed into a fully-fledged series.
Texi has gone on to successfully publish ‘Introducing Jarrod Black’ and ‘Jarrod Black – Hospital Pass’ courtesy of Fairplay Publishing.
The novels follow an Australian plying his trade in the English Football League and offers a unique perspective on the life of a footballer – albeit a fictional one.
From exploring the turbulence of attempting to break into teams as a young player to the difficult decision surrounding a potential club move, Texi does a great job of pulling back the curtain on the reality of life revolving around the round ball.
Black makes for a very worthy and likeable protagonist with Texi revealing his inspiration for the book was to shine some light on the good guys in football.
“It all started when I moved to my local club to play and there was a really good guy at the club and it just struck me that there aren’t many stories around about the good guy,” Texi told Goal .
“From there I just started putting a story together, and didn’t really think of it as a book. It was a bit of a side hustle from some journalism I was doing and it all came together.
“I kept writing on and off and it turned into a novel.”
Much like a real football career, Jarrod Black’s story wasn’t written overnight with a third book also now in the works.
“It took five or six years because it was stop start, fitting it in around work and family life,” Texi said.
“I’d leave it for months at a time. Even on the train to work, I’d get inspiration from the weekend’s football and add a little bit to the story.
“I’m halfway through (the third book), let’s say. It’s going through one of those phases where it may change direction.
“The theme is the same though. It’s going to be another Unashamed Football Novel.”
Football fiction remains relatively niche with Texi initially self-publishing his books to rave reviews but little exposure, with the round ball game itself often producing sufficient storylines.
“There are so many wonderful stories in football itself,” Texi said.
“When you’re reading match reports of games you didn’t watch, that’s fiction too really. There’s plenty of it out there already.”
While the beautiful game certainly never fails to create a captivating story or two, Jarrod Black’s journey is one more worth checking out.
You can buy ‘Introducing Jarrod Black’ here and find Texi Smith here.
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