WAYNE Rooney's ideal bed-time companion is, contrary to previous publicity, one Harry Potter.

Brad Friedel is happy to spend time between the sheets with the Stick Man, meanwhile, and Emmerson Boyce entertains himself before lights out with Wallace and Gromit.

Such gems have been dropped as part of a Premier League campaign to encourage youngsters to read more.

One player from every Premier League club was asked to nominate his ideal bed-time read and, if we are to believe their answers, we can forget about the common conception that a footballer's grey matter extends no further than footy results and racing tips.

One, West Ham's Robert Green, even has us trying to believe he dips into that all-time classic The Iliad, by Homer, while former Stoke goalkeeper Carlo Nash is opportunistic enough to give his latest travel publication yet another plug.

Others appear to have themselves in mind – Jamie Carragher opting for a book called War Horse and David James for one entitled Moneyball.

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull maybe going a tad too far, however, with Blessed by George Best.

And the Stoke player nominated to disclose one of his night-time habits?

That honour fell to Danny Higginbotham and his nomination of the mystery suspense novel A Quiet Belief In Angels by RJ Ellory.

Set in America in the 1940s, it centres on the murder of young girls by a serial killer stalking an otherwise quiet town in the middle of nowhere.

Sadly for Danny, his nomination gives us a possible insight into his TV viewing habits, too, for RJ Ellory's book was promoted by none other than the Richard and Judy book club.

PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS AND THEIR IDEAL READ

Bacary Sagna (Arsenal): The Soul of a Butterfly by Muhammad Ali.

Brad Friedel (Aston Villa): Stick Man by Julia Donaldson.

Paul Robinson (Blackburn): The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S Sharma.

Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton Wanderers) How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell.

Henrique Hilario (Chelsea): Black and Blue by Paul Canoville.

Carlo Nash (Everton): Luxury Backpackers: Global Adventures in Style by Jill Nash and Carlo Nash.

Mark Schwarzer (Fulham): Scarves, Sombreros and Penalty Shoot Outs by Mark Schwarzer.

Boaz Myhill (Hull City): Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Jamie Carragher (Liverpool): War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.

Daniel Sturridge (Man City): Pele: The Autobiography By Pele.

Wayne Rooney (Man United): Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling.

Ross Turnbull (Middlesbrough): Blessed by George Best.

Steven Taylor (Newcastle): Friendly Matches by Allan Ahlberg.

David James (Portsmouth): Moneyball by Mitchell Lewis.

Danny Higginbotham (Stoke City): A Quiet Belief in Angels by RJ Ellory.

Craig Gordon (Sunderland): Head on: Botham The Autobiography by Ian Botham.

Didier Zokora (Tottenham Hotspur): The Kick Off by Dan Freedman.

Chris Brunt (West Brom): James and the Giant Peach By Roald Dahl.

Robert Green (West Ham): The Iliad by Homer.

Emmerson Boyce (Wigan Athletic): Wallace and Gromit: The Bootiful Game by Ian Rimmer.