Sterland: Melvyn (Mel)

1989-1994 (Player Details)

Right Back

Born: Sheffield: 1-10-1961

Debut v Newcastle United (a): 19-08-1989

5’10” 12st 10lb (1989)

#35 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Sterland joined Sheffield Wednesday in June 1978, straight from Waltheof School, turning professional in October 1979. He enjoyed his best spell at Hillsborough under Howard Wilkinson and played a key role in Wednesday’s promotion to Division One in 1984. The holder of seven Under-Twenty-three caps, he also played for England ‘B’ and represented the Football League and won a full cap against Saudi Arabia in November 1988. At Hillsborough Sterland scored thirty-seven goals in two hundred and seventy-nine League games. Wednesday sold Sterland to Rangers for a club record £800,000 in March 1989 and he stayed at Ibrox just long enough to win a Scottish League championship medal scoring three goals in nine appearances. When Mel Sterland decided to return south from his brief unhappy spell at Rangers, he declined an opportunity to play in the old First Division with Queens Park Rangers in order to wear the colours of Leeds United, convinced they would make an imminent return to the top league. Just three years later, he was to receive a championship medal, but injury was to strike him down. Attacking Right-Back Sterland joined Leeds for £600,000 in July 1989 to link up with his old boss Howard Wilkinson. Dubbed ‘Zico’ by the Leeds fans because of his ability to score spectacular goals, his dynamic runs down the right and booming crosses brought a stack of goals for Lee Chapman as Leeds swept to the Second Division title and then the League Championship in the space of three years. He was the backbone of Leeds United's championship-winning side in 1992, but injury cruelly cut short his career. Sterland also contributed his fair share of goals, many of them thunderous free-kicks, but injuries took their toll, forcing him to give up the League game and towards the end of his career, an ankle injury caused him problems and his professional career came to an end in 1994. The ankle injury had shown no sign of healing and he had a tendon removed from his right ankle. Three more operations followed in a vain attempt to get the ankle right, but the former England international knew it was the end of the road. With his depth of experience, it wasn't long before Sterland was back in football. In the summer of 1994 he was appointed Player-Manager of Boston United, a post he held until May 1996. At Boston he started twenty-nine League games with another three from the bench and found the net five times. He made another six appearances in Cup and other competitions. After Boston he joined Denaby United as a player and added a Northern Counties East League Championship winners' medal to his collection. He then became a Sales Rep and in 1997 he took over as manager at Stalybridge Celtic, but after they were relegated he moved to Hallam as a player. A job as a Salesman for a Bradford Gas Company followed before forming an agency to advise footballers on mortgages, pensions and transfers and he used to work on Radio Aire as a football summariser and provided statistics for the Press Association for games involving the two Sheffield clubs, Rotherham and Chesterfield.