Christmas 2018 is fast approaching, which means the usual raft of new football books will be hitting the shelves very soon.
For football books, as with books covering other topics, publishers want to get their latest releases in the shops in October and November to maximise the chance of people picking them up as Christmas presents.
This year is no different. The slight exception is that, this having been a World Cup year, some of the best football books 2018 has garnered were released earlier in the year than would otherwise have been the case. So, we'll look at the very best football books 2018 has to offer, including new releases and those published earlier in the year, to give you all the information you need before you start shopping for the football-mad bookworm in your life.
Autobiographical football books 2018
Autobiographies written by well known footballing figures inevitably make the biggest stir when it comes to football books. By far the highest profile of the new releases is Between The Lines by Michael Carrick. The former Manchester United midfielder's long career at the top of the game - much of it being adored by United's large global fanbase - guaranteed an audience for this book. It is already making headlines due to some fresh and frank admissions from Carrick about his battle with mental health problems during his career.
Another for United midfielder has an autobiography out. Ben Thornley's Tackled recounts the story a member of the Class of 92 who saw his Old Trafford career derailed by a serious knee injury. Club insiders reportedly considered Thornley a better prospect than Ryan Giggs before a reckless tackle by Blackburn Rovers' Nicky Marker ruled him out for more than a year.
Of the other autobiographies former England manager Kevin Keegan's My Life In Football, Life in a Jungle by Bruce Grobbelaar, Suddenly A Football by Juan Mata, Toshack's Way by John Toshack and How To Be A Footballer by Peter Crouch are all likely to be among among the best-selling football books 2018.
Other football books 2018
Autobiographies - particularly those penned by footballers - can be hit and miss, so perhaps you're on the lookout for a different type of football book to give as a Christmas present. Black Boots and Football Pinks: 50 Lost Wonders of the Beautiful Game by Daniel Gray is a nostalgic account of the changing nature of football.
Out in the summer but still worth picking up is Tom Williams' Do You Speak Football?, which looks at the delightful quirks of footballing terminology around the globe.
A biography, rather than an autobiography, Gary Speed. Unspoken: The Family's Untold Story by John Richardson promises insight into the tragic story of the late Wales manager.
Books about Pep Guardiola are not short in supply, but among the new releases is another one. Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning by Guillem Balague is a borderline entry for this football books 2018 list. The book is older than that, but this new edition is up to date with the former Barcelona boss' successes with Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Fans of comics will enjoy David Squires' Goalless Draws: Illuminating the Genius of Modern Football, the Guardian cartoonist' last book.
Squires' Guardian stablemate, senior sports writer Barney Ronay, is among those recounting experiences at the 2018 World Cup in his book How Football (Nearly) Came Home: Adventures in Putin’s World Cup. If it's anything like his columns, this should be a witty and enjoyable read.
Illustrator Dave Will's Jumpers For Goal Posts combines his artwork with instantly recognisable memories from playground football.
Children's football books 2018
If you're Christmas shopping for a younger football fan, some of the usual favourites are available. The Match! Annual 2019 and Match of the Day Annual 2019 are both in the shops.
In the mammoth Ultimate Football Heroes series, books on both Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne are being released in time for Christmas.
And it would be remiss of us not to mention our very own World At Your Feet by Rob Parker, which you can buy here.
That concludes our collection of the best football books 2018 has to offer. Good luck with your Christmas shopping.