About the book

Synopsis

As far as those who marvel at his sporting glories are concerned, Oisín McConville is a winner. His career has marked him out as one of the most gifted footballers of a generation. To date, he has won eleven Ulster titles
and four All Irelands for club and country, picking up two All Stars and becoming the top scorer in Ulster football along the way. But off the pitch, winning has not been so easy.

Outside the sport, McConville looked for other ways to replicate the buzz he felt while on the pitch for Crossmaglen and Armagh, and things very quickly got out of control. After the closure of his pub, it was rumoured that he had a drinking problem but in fact McConville had fallen victim to another addiction: gambling. What started out as a hobby became an overwhelming obsession and as his debts mounted the only escape he could find was on the football field.

In The Gambler, McConville relives the darkest days of his addiction and the six months he spent in rehabilitation while also recalling the highlights of his career.