Cornwall-based actor and author Mike Bearcroft has published a murder mystery that lifts the lid on the crazy world of professional football.

Mr Bearcroft, a popular speaker at clubs and societies in Devon and Cornwall, has drawn on his inside knowledge of the game to create a fictional player who scores the goal that takes his team into the football league.

But in the novel “Dangerous Score” he goes from hero to villain overnight after he is linked to a missing girl and the story takes him on a roller-coaster ride of football, mystery, love, crime and even more football.

Mr Bearcroft, who lives in Mevagissey and is moving to Devoran in December 2016, started writing after retiring at the age of 50 from a business career. His acting credits include Peak Practice, Casualty and Brum and he has directed musical theatre shows across the UK.

He said: “I’ve had a varied career and that has enabled me to talk on a number of subjects to local groups across Devon and Cornwall. But for this novel I went back to my earliest days when I was a goalkeeper on the books of Sheffield United and later Chairman of non-league Corby Town FC.

“Football is still a beautiful game, but with spoilt young men earning more in a week than most people do in ten years and the ever increasing scandal and corruption stories, the game is constantly under scrutiny. Unless you have been inside the game it is hard to imagine the everyday life of a professional footballer.

“Like most writers I just started with asking myself ‘what if?’ and used my knowledge of how football clubs operate to bring the story to life. When I lived in Northamptonshire I was heavily involved in football management and have many friends in the game.”

Dangerous Score (New Generation Publishing) is Mike Bearcroft’s debut novel and he is now taking bookings for speaker engagements in 2017. He can be contacted on 07777 683246 or email at sueandmikebearcroft@gmail.com. His website is michaelbearcroftdangerousscore.co.uk