Fighting Spirit

The authorised biography of Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and Dutch star Fernando Ricksen. As well as revealing insights into his time at Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and with the Dutch national team, Ricksen reveals secrets of the high life of a celebrity footballer, his battle with alcohol and drug addictions and now with motor neuron disease.

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Fernando Ricksen was a fighter.



As a footballer, Ricksen carved out a fearsome reputation for Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and Holland. Throughout his time at Ibrox, his aggressive approach won him hero status among the Rangers fans, and off the field he was just as dynamic a force, finding himself on the front page as often as in the sports section.



After leaving the club in 2006 and signing for Zenit St Petersburg, he went on to defeat his former teammates in the final of the 2008 UEFA Cup and established as wild a reputation in Russia as he had in Glasgow.



Ricksen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2013, and here his extraordinary life story is chronicled, along with his 6 year battle with the disease. Fighting Spirit details his wild experiences both on and off the field, in a rollercoaster journey of football, alcohol, drugs, sex, violence and corruption.