Hodge: Stephen Brian (Steve)

1991-1994 (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Nottingham: 25-10-1962

Debut: Sheffield Wednesday (h) (Substitute): 24-08-1991

5’8” 10st 3lb (1993)

A native of Nottingham, he represented that city and his county at schoolboy level and then played for Notts County Boys before joining Nottingham Forest as an apprentice in May 1978, and turning professional in October 1980. He made his debut for Forest on the final day of the 1981-82 season. A left-footed midfield man with an eye for goal, he gained the first of his eight England Under-Twenty-one caps against Greece in March 1983. In August 1985, after scoring thirty goals in one hundred and twenty-three appearances, a surprise £450,000 move took him to Aston Villa. There, his skillful forays down the left earned him a full England debut in March 1986, against Russia, and he was a member of the World Cup team that year. He famously got Maradona’s shirt after the “Hand of God” game in that tournament. He was captain at Villa, making fifty-three appearances and scoring twelve goals, but accepted the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur in a £650,000 deal in December 1986 and played in their side that lost to Coventry City in the 1987 FA Cup Final, after scoring twice in their 4-1 Semi-Final win over Watford. He continued to pick up England caps but became unsettled when Terry Venables took over from David Pleat at White Hart Lane and returned to Forest, after scoring seven times in forty-five games, for £575,000, in August 1988. Back in familiar surroundings, he rediscovered his best form, helping Brian Clough’s side to win the 1989 Wembley Finals of both the Simod and Littlewoods/League Cup, with Hodge winning his first major honour as Forest beat Luton Town 2-1. A week later he witnessed the horror of Hillsborough and his team lost the rescheduled FA Cup Semi-Final to Liverpool at Old Trafford. The League Cup was won again the following year when Hodge played in the 1-0 Final win over Oldham Athletic. He regained his place in the England squad and was a member of the 1990 World Cup party, but injuries meant that he was unable to play a game. Injuries and the emergence of Irish star Roy Keane saw Hodge on the sidelines at his club, although he did appear as a substitute for Forest in the 1991 FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur, having played his final League game for Forest the previous week against Leeds United, the team he signed for in a £900,000 deal in July 1991, having scored twenty times in eighty-two games during his second spell at the City Ground. Nicknamed “Harry”, the former England international midfielder made an instant impact with Leeds, coming on as a substitute on his debut and scoring a point-saving goal against Sheffield Wednesday. Indeed he made only a dozen starts, and eleven off the bench, during the 1991-92 championship winning season, but was well-known for coming off the bench and scoring decisive late goals. He did play enough times to gain a Championship medal, but the famous Leeds midfield of Gordon Strachan, David Batty, Gary McAllister and Gary Speed was in such fine form meant he was used as a late hit-man substitute or filling in in case of injury to the famous four and during his injury-blighted time at Elland Road he did not really command a regular place. He was unable to add to his tally of twenty-four England caps while at Leeds, and after struggling with injury and loss of form, he was loaned to Derby County in August 1994, where he scored twice in ten games. He left Leeds and signed for Queens Park Rangers for £300,000 in October 1994 but was unable to make an impression as Rangers struggled in the EPL and after failing to score in fifteen appearances, he moved to Watford in December 1995. He did not stay long at Vicarage Road, making only two scoreless appearances and was released in June 1996. After trials with Bristol City and Walsall, he had a spell in Hong Kong but he returned and joined Leyton Orient in August 1997 on a non-contract basis but retired in June 1998 after only one game in which he didn’t score. He obtained his Coaching certificate and joined the coaching staff at Chesterfield, and also coached juniors at Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Notts County.