Going All-In on Practically Everything: The Wild Life Of Mad Dog Gravesen

Thomas Gravesen was born in Vejle, Denmark, in 1976 and has become something of a legend in world football. His career took him to Everton, Real Madrid and Celtic, and brought him 66 caps for his country. Even today, in a world where footballers are accessible and relatable, he remains an enigma, someone few can truly understand.

Author Chris Sweeney describes him as a lovable guy who was very spontaneous, leading to him creating moments and legends away from the pitch. Some of them remain as endearing and unbelievable as the day they took place.

"He was mental," is the assertation of former teammate James McFadden. "He brought fireworks in one day. The physio's room was at the side of one of the pitches [and] the physio was one of the fittest guys at the club. He was running with the injured players when Tommy comes out with a big rocket and fires it right at him."

Fireworks, literal and metaphorical, were not uncommon when it came to Mad Dog. He famously clashed with Brazilian star Robinho at Real Madrid. Madrid had spent around $29m on Robinho, but Gravesen had moved to the Bernabeu for a relatively small fee of $3.4m.