"I often read in my spare time when I'm not playing football. I also like to read to my children. My little boy really enjoys the Mr Gum books. Some of the stories are really funny so I enjoy them just as much! Mr Gum is a truly nasty old man – but this book is not just about him. There is also a little girl called Polly, an evil butcher, heroes and sweets and Jake the dog, who must be saved from terrible, terrible evil."

Darren Ward is a former international goalkeeper for Wales and has played more than 500 league and cup games over 15 years for clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers.