Steve Hodge
Encyclopedia
Stephen Brian Hodge is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a high-profile club and international career in the 1980s and 1990s.
er who was comfortable in a central or wide position, was born in Nottingham
, England
and joined his boyhood club Nottingham Forest
as an apprentice in 1980 and made his debut against Ipswich Town
on the final day of the 1981-82 season
.
A favourite of Forest's charismatic manager Brian Clough
, Hodge became a first-team regular the following season as the club tried to build a new young team after the side which won two European Cup
s began to age and disintegrate. Hodge was a frequent goalscorer from midfield as Forest consolidated their League position were unable to push for trophies
other than a semi-final in the UEFA Cup
in 1984, where they lost in controversial circumstances to Anderlecht
.
In the summer of 1985, Forest surprisingly accepted an offer of £450,000 from Aston Villa and Hodge - whose nickname
was Harry - made his move from the East Midlands
to the West Midlands
.
However, the move to Villa did work initially but really the team was in decline and once he had got England recognition it was perceived by the Villa fans that he wasn't committed to the Villa cause which was typified during a 4-1 home defeat by Norwich City where he did an awful back pass to Kevin Poole
and was slotted in by a Norwich player - the boos ringing round the ground signalled the beginning of the end for his Villa career and Hodge left Villa in acrimonious circumstances and signed for Tottenham in November 1986 for £650,000.
Though he was only three caps into his international career by the time Robson announced his squad, Hodge was given a place on the plane to Mexico
, coming on as a substitute in the first two group games against Portugal
and Morocco
, which England lost and drew respectively.
Making urgent changes for the final group game against Poland
, Robson put Hodge in the side and he responded with an outstanding personal display within a crushing team performance. Hodge's superb left wing cross on the run gave Gary Lineker
his second goal in a first half hat-trick which eased England's passage to the second round.
There they faced Paraguay
, and it was a sliding, stretching Hodge who kept in an over-hit cross from Glenn Hoddle
, by pushing the ball into the path of Lineker to tap home. Again England were 3-0 victors, with Argentina
awaiting ominously in the last eight. Here Hodge would earn his own mildly dubious place in England's history - and a highly-prized memento.
Early in the second half, the score was still goalless and the game tightly contested when Diego Maradona
cut in from the right hand side of the penalty area and attempted a one-two with team-mate Jorge Valdano. The return pass, however, went behind Maradona and found Hodge who managed to connect with the ball with his left foot and send it towards his own goalkeeper, Peter Shilton
, who started to come out of his goalmouth to collect.
It remains unclear whether Hodge was aware that Maradona had continued his run and had intended to pass the ball back to Shilton, or whether he intended to clear the ball but miskicked. Either way, Maradona and Shilton both challenged for the ball and, even though Shilton was considerably taller, it was the Argentine captain who got the crucial touch and found the net - using his hand. The referee gave the goal, which later became known as the Hand of God goal.
Maradona did get an outstanding individual second goal minutes later, before Hodge set up a chance for substitute Barnes to beat two defenders and cross for Lineker to score. But England couldn't find the equaliser and went out of the tournament. Hodge, however, managed to swap shirts with Maradona afterwards and maintains his possession of it to this day.
Hodge retained his place in the team as England began their qualification campaign for the 1988 European Championships with victories over Northern Ireland
and Yugoslavia
.
put Hodge wide on the left of a vibrant, attacking five-man midfield which also included England team-mates Hoddle and Chris Waddle
, Argentinian veteran Osvaldo Ardiles
and hardworking ballwinner Paul Allen
. Each were expected to contribute goals and assists behind one main centre forward, Clive Allen
, and it worked. Hodge scored on his debut on Boxing Day
1986 in a 4-0 thrashing of West Ham United
and scored three times more while creating plenty for others as Spurs chased three trophies.
Sadly for Hodge, his quest for domestic success eluded him again as Spurs were knocked out by fierce rivals Arsenal
in the semi finals of the League Cup
, tailed off in their First Division
title charge and came third, and lost a thrilling FA Cup
final at Wembley against Coventry City
, following an outstanding 4-1 semi-final win over Watford
in which Hodge scored twice.
One consolation was that Hodge was keeping hold of his England place that season, winning his 15th cap in a goalless draw against Scotland at Wembley. But then he would be suddenly cast into the international wilderness.
1987 had been a peak year for Spurs, and their form could not be maintained into the following season, especially with the departures of Hoddle and then manager Pleat. Meanwhile, Hodge's main rival for England's left-sided slot, Barnes, had joined Liverpool
in the summer and proceeded to play a starring, spectacular role in an all-conquering season which demanded his restoration to the England team. Hodge played out the 1988 season with Spurs but his form was not up to standard, and he was not selected for the squad which went to the European Championship finals. In hindsight, it was handy for Hodge not to have been there, as England played appallingly in all three group matches, losing the lot and coming home disgraced.
at Wembley - as Hodge had been back on form after an astute Clough paid Spurs 550,000 pounds to take him back to Nottingham Forest. Hodge was again cast aside internationally afterwards, but his club form improved dramatically and he found himself regularly called up by Robson as a result, though actual appearances were scarce.
Forest won the Simod Cup in 1989 and then reached the League Cup final, with Hodge finally winning a major domestic medal. The 3-1 win over Luton Town
at Wembley saw Hodge play a crucial part as it was he, making a foraging run from deep, who was brought down for the penalty which Nigel Clough
converted, setting Forest on the road to victory. A week later, however, Hodge was one of the Forest players who had to cope with the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster
during the opening minutes of their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Hodge played in the rescheduled game at Old Trafford
, which Liverpool won 3-1.
The following season, Hodge played as Forest retained the League Cup with a 1-0 win over Oldham Athletic
, having managed to force his way back into the England reckoning with a strong appearance as a substitute against Italy
at Wembley, by which time England's place at the 1990 World Cup was secured. Hodge subsequently played in the final four warm-up matches before the tournament itself.
To his delight, Hodge then made the final squad but he then suffered an injury and, as a consequence, the ignominy of being the only outfield England player not to kick a ball during the tournament, even though England reached the semi-finals. He didn't even regain his fitness in time to get on the pitch for the third-place play-off game.
Robson quit after the World Cup and Hodge was not selected initially by successor Graham Taylor
. At the time he was struggling to hold down a regular place in the Forest midfield after the emergence of teenage Irish
phenomenon Roy Keane
to partner Garry Parker
, who had become the first-choice central midfielder despite being the only one of the three never to play international football.
Taylor brought Hodge back for a 2-0 win over Cameroon
early in 1991 and he was then given his 24th cap in a 1-0 win against Turkey
in İzmir
in a qualifier for the 1992 European Championships. He had, however, lost his Forest place by then and was only named as a substitute by Clough for the 1991 FA Cup final
against his old club Tottenham Hotspur.
Both proved to be the case, as he struggled to win regular football at Elland Road
, though played enough times in his first season to earn a First Division championship medal, even though more noticeable midfield players - Gordon Strachan
, Gary McAllister
, Gary Speed
and David Batty
- spent more time in the side and got the plaudits.
He had a loan spell with Derby County
before being allowed to leave Leeds and join Queens Park Rangers
for a nominal fee in 1994. Two seasons followed with Hodge playing just 15 times, and he joined Watford
and played twice in their unsuccessful battle to avoid relegation from Division One in the 1995-96 season
.
An unsuccessful trial at Walsall
came in the autumn of 1996, followed by a brief spell playing in Hong Kong
. He signed for Division Three side Leyton Orient
in March 1998, playing just once before finally retiring from playing at the end of the season.
in Preston on a long-term loan. He has just received his A licence and is currently doing some work with Roy McFarland
at Chesterfield Football Club.
In December 2002, the ex-England football internationals, Gary Mabbutt
, Jason Dodd
and Steve, visited Iran
to give a one-week coaching course to young footballers and youth-team international coaches.
Hodge is currently at the Nottingham Forest Academy coaching the U 14's side.
In 2010 Hodge released an autobiography entitled, "The Man With Maradona's Shirt".
Playing career
Hodge is world famous for being the individual who traded jerseys with the great Diego Maradona after the match in which he scored the "Goal of the Century." The jersey is currently in his possession, and the jersey was out on loan to the National Football Museum in Great Britain.Early career
Hodge, a left-footed midfieldMidfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
er who was comfortable in a central or wide position, was born in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and joined his boyhood club Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
as an apprentice in 1980 and made his debut against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on the final day of the 1981-82 season
1981-82 in English football
The 1981–82 season was the 102nd season of competitive football in England.It was also the first season that the Three points for a win system was introduced.- First Division :Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
.
A favourite of Forest's charismatic manager Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, Hodge became a first-team regular the following season as the club tried to build a new young team after the side which won two European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
s began to age and disintegrate. Hodge was a frequent goalscorer from midfield as Forest consolidated their League position were unable to push for trophies
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
other than a semi-final in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1984, where they lost in controversial circumstances to Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
.
In the summer of 1985, Forest surprisingly accepted an offer of £450,000 from Aston Villa and Hodge - whose nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
was Harry - made his move from the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
to the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
.
However, the move to Villa did work initially but really the team was in decline and once he had got England recognition it was perceived by the Villa fans that he wasn't committed to the Villa cause which was typified during a 4-1 home defeat by Norwich City where he did an awful back pass to Kevin Poole
Kevin Poole
Kevin Poole is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Football League Two side Burton Albion, where he is also goalkeeping coach...
and was slotted in by a Norwich player - the boos ringing round the ground signalled the beginning of the end for his Villa career and Hodge left Villa in acrimonious circumstances and signed for Tottenham in November 1986 for £650,000.
Though he was only three caps into his international career by the time Robson announced his squad, Hodge was given a place on the plane to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, coming on as a substitute in the first two group games against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
and Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
, which England lost and drew respectively.
Making urgent changes for the final group game against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, Robson put Hodge in the side and he responded with an outstanding personal display within a crushing team performance. Hodge's superb left wing cross on the run gave Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
his second goal in a first half hat-trick which eased England's passage to the second round.
There they faced Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, and it was a sliding, stretching Hodge who kept in an over-hit cross from Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
, by pushing the ball into the path of Lineker to tap home. Again England were 3-0 victors, with Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
awaiting ominously in the last eight. Here Hodge would earn his own mildly dubious place in England's history - and a highly-prized memento.
Early in the second half, the score was still goalless and the game tightly contested when Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
cut in from the right hand side of the penalty area and attempted a one-two with team-mate Jorge Valdano. The return pass, however, went behind Maradona and found Hodge who managed to connect with the ball with his left foot and send it towards his own goalkeeper, Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
, who started to come out of his goalmouth to collect.
It remains unclear whether Hodge was aware that Maradona had continued his run and had intended to pass the ball back to Shilton, or whether he intended to clear the ball but miskicked. Either way, Maradona and Shilton both challenged for the ball and, even though Shilton was considerably taller, it was the Argentine captain who got the crucial touch and found the net - using his hand. The referee gave the goal, which later became known as the Hand of God goal.
Maradona did get an outstanding individual second goal minutes later, before Hodge set up a chance for substitute Barnes to beat two defenders and cross for Lineker to score. But England couldn't find the equaliser and went out of the tournament. Hodge, however, managed to swap shirts with Maradona afterwards and maintains his possession of it to this day.
Hodge retained his place in the team as England began their qualification campaign for the 1988 European Championships with victories over Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham manager David PleatDavid Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
put Hodge wide on the left of a vibrant, attacking five-man midfield which also included England team-mates Hoddle and Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
, Argentinian veteran Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo César Ardiles , often referred to in Britain as Ossie Ardiles, is a football coach, pundit and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentine national team...
and hardworking ballwinner Paul Allen
Paul Allen (footballer)
Paul Kevin Allen is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Luton Town, Stoke City, Swindon Town, Bristol City and Millwall in the 1980s and 1990s...
. Each were expected to contribute goals and assists behind one main centre forward, Clive Allen
Clive Allen
Clive Darren Allen is a retired English footballer, a prolific scorer for a number of clubs.Allen is the son of ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward Les Allen, who was a member of the legendary team which won the First Division title and FA Cup "double" in 1961...
, and it worked. Hodge scored on his debut on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1986 in a 4-0 thrashing of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and scored three times more while creating plenty for others as Spurs chased three trophies.
Sadly for Hodge, his quest for domestic success eluded him again as Spurs were knocked out by fierce rivals Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the semi finals of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, tailed off in their First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
title charge and came third, and lost a thrilling FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final at Wembley against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, following an outstanding 4-1 semi-final win over Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
in which Hodge scored twice.
One consolation was that Hodge was keeping hold of his England place that season, winning his 15th cap in a goalless draw against Scotland at Wembley. But then he would be suddenly cast into the international wilderness.
1987 had been a peak year for Spurs, and their form could not be maintained into the following season, especially with the departures of Hoddle and then manager Pleat. Meanwhile, Hodge's main rival for England's left-sided slot, Barnes, had joined Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the summer and proceeded to play a starring, spectacular role in an all-conquering season which demanded his restoration to the England team. Hodge played out the 1988 season with Spurs but his form was not up to standard, and he was not selected for the squad which went to the European Championship finals. In hindsight, it was handy for Hodge not to have been there, as England played appallingly in all three group matches, losing the lot and coming home disgraced.
Return to Forest
Robson recalled Hodge for the first game after the European Championships - a 1-0 win over DenmarkDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
at Wembley - as Hodge had been back on form after an astute Clough paid Spurs 550,000 pounds to take him back to Nottingham Forest. Hodge was again cast aside internationally afterwards, but his club form improved dramatically and he found himself regularly called up by Robson as a result, though actual appearances were scarce.
Forest won the Simod Cup in 1989 and then reached the League Cup final, with Hodge finally winning a major domestic medal. The 3-1 win over Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
at Wembley saw Hodge play a crucial part as it was he, making a foraging run from deep, who was brought down for the penalty which Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
converted, setting Forest on the road to victory. A week later, however, Hodge was one of the Forest players who had to cope with the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
during the opening minutes of their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Hodge played in the rescheduled game at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
, which Liverpool won 3-1.
The following season, Hodge played as Forest retained the League Cup with a 1-0 win over Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, having managed to force his way back into the England reckoning with a strong appearance as a substitute against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
at Wembley, by which time England's place at the 1990 World Cup was secured. Hodge subsequently played in the final four warm-up matches before the tournament itself.
To his delight, Hodge then made the final squad but he then suffered an injury and, as a consequence, the ignominy of being the only outfield England player not to kick a ball during the tournament, even though England reached the semi-finals. He didn't even regain his fitness in time to get on the pitch for the third-place play-off game.
Robson quit after the World Cup and Hodge was not selected initially by successor Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (football manager)
Graham Taylor OBE is a football pundit, ex-football manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the...
. At the time he was struggling to hold down a regular place in the Forest midfield after the emergence of teenage Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
phenomenon Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
to partner Garry Parker
Garry Parker
Garry Parker is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Luton Town, Hull City, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Leicester City, mostly in the top division of English football, in the 1980s and 1990s. He was capped by his country at under-21 and B international level...
, who had become the first-choice central midfielder despite being the only one of the three never to play international football.
Taylor brought Hodge back for a 2-0 win over Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
early in 1991 and he was then given his 24th cap in a 1-0 win against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
in a qualifier for the 1992 European Championships. He had, however, lost his Forest place by then and was only named as a substitute by Clough for the 1991 FA Cup final
FA Cup Final 1991
The 1991 FA Cup Final saw Tottenham Hotspur win the FA Cup for a then-record eighth time, by beating Nottingham Forest 2–1 at Wembley in the 110th FA Cup Final....
against his old club Tottenham Hotspur.
Late career
Hodge came on as a second half substitute but Spurs ran out 2-1 winners after extra time. In the summer, Clough sold him to Leeds United for £900,000 - the highest transfer fee Hodge had commanded even though he was seemingly past his best and had seen his international career almost certainly brought to an end.Both proved to be the case, as he struggled to win regular football at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, though played enough times in his first season to earn a First Division championship medal, even though more noticeable midfield players - Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
, Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...
, Gary Speed
Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
and David Batty
David Batty
David Batty is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder....
- spent more time in the side and got the plaudits.
He had a loan spell with Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
before being allowed to leave Leeds and join Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
for a nominal fee in 1994. Two seasons followed with Hodge playing just 15 times, and he joined Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and played twice in their unsuccessful battle to avoid relegation from Division One in the 1995-96 season
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
.
An unsuccessful trial at Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
came in the autumn of 1996, followed by a brief spell playing in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He signed for Division Three side Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
in March 1998, playing just once before finally retiring from playing at the end of the season.
After football
Hodge has kept a low profile since giving up playing, though he did occasionally appear on TV programmes to show off the Maradona shirt. He has since given the shirt to the National Football MuseumNational Football Museum
The National Football Museum was a museum in Preston, Lancashire, England founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of association football memorabilia. It was built outside Deepdale, which as of 2010 is the oldest continuously used football league ground in the world...
in Preston on a long-term loan. He has just received his A licence and is currently doing some work with Roy McFarland
Roy McFarland
Roy Leslie McFarland is an English football manager who was also a player, notably at Derby County where he played 434 league games helping him to earn 28 caps for England.-Playing career:...
at Chesterfield Football Club.
In December 2002, the ex-England football internationals, Gary Mabbutt
Gary Mabbutt
Gary Mabbutt MBE is an English former professional footballer who made more than 600 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing for Bristol Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur, and won 16 caps for the England national team. He was most regularly seen in central defence but was a...
, Jason Dodd
Jason Dodd
Jason Robert Dodd is an English former footballer and manager, who spent most of his playing career with Southampton, where he was briefly First-Team Coach...
and Steve, visited Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to give a one-week coaching course to young footballers and youth-team international coaches.
Hodge is currently at the Nottingham Forest Academy coaching the U 14's side.
In 2010 Hodge released an autobiography entitled, "The Man With Maradona's Shirt".