Author(s): Mal Peet

Young Adult Fiction

In a newspaper office, Paul Faustino, South America's top football writer, sits opposite the man they call El Gato - the Cat - the world's greatest goalkeeper. On the table between them stands the World Cup...In the hours that follow, El Gato tells his incredible story - how he, a poor logger's son, learns to become a World Cup-winning goalkeeper so good he is almost unbeatable. And the most remarkable part of this story is the man who teaches him - the mysterious Keeper, who haunts a football pitch at the heart of the claustrophobic forest. This extraordinary, gripping tale pulses with the rhythms of football and the rainforest. First published 2003.