A truly tragic tale of the death of Germany's International Goalkeeper Robert Enke as told by friend Ronald Reng, looking back through his career as he battled the demon's in his head and would sadly succumb to the dreaded Black Dog by committing suicide in 2009, which has brought the issue of mental health in football to the forefront with much needed conversation. The book explores the impact of a variety or subjects that will no doubt have sent shockwaves through professional sport, and how it operates behind the scenes and there is no doubt that tragic events such as this have led to a more rounded sport today with a focus on looking after people and not shying away from thinking that the fame and money are barriers for inner struggles. 

There is no doubt that Enke comes across as a complex character that was unable to join the dots together in his head and was hyper-critical to the point of obsession. Some of the choices made have clearly had a huge impact, whether positively or negatively with his forays to play abroad of contrasting emotions with a clear affinity in Portugal but a struggle elsewhere. The pressure of joining arguably the world's biggest club, Barcelona, entering into a no-win situation clearly takes a toll and the masculinity around football and the need to not show weakness is a constant theme throughout the book and is still an issue today, though there is more understanding in today's professional sport environment.

Of course, the impact of the death of his daughter is huge, though the book paints a clear picture of acceptance of the situation that occurs and also plays out with the adoption of another child that sadly lost a father before she had the chance to know him as a person. The toll it also had on a long-suffering wife offers such sadness as they fought in vain to save his life, knowing towards the end that it was a battle they were losing. Today, mental health is a huge societal issue and thankfully it is not something I have ever had an issue with, though it has affected my wider family but I was truly shocked and very naive of the impact it can have on a person and it is very clearly an extreme case with Enke, not wanting to get out of bad, the avoidance and clandestine nature of keeping it from people and not seeking the help that could have ultimately saved Enke's life. 

A winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, Reng's account is a tragic yet intriguing read that again has a huge impact on any reader and left a sadness at the societal issue that is greater today than ever before though with a more wider view and a willingness to fight this long battle.