Steve Hodge

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Hodge was born in Nottingham and joined his boyhood club Nottingham Forest as an apprentice in 1980. He made his debut against Ipswich Town on the final day of the 1981–82 season. He became a first-team regular the following season under Brian Clough. In summer 1985, Forest accepted an offer of £450,000 from Aston Villa. Hodge scored 12 goals in 53 league appearances for Villa, then was sold to Tottenham in December 1986 for £650,000. He returned to Forest in 1988 for £550,000. He was sold to Leeds United in summer 1991 for £900,000. He later played for Queens Park Rangers, Watford, Leyton Orient, and Instant-Dict in Hong Kong.

In Their Own Story

In the summer of 1985, Forest 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. He scored 12 goals in 53 league appearances for Aston Villa before being sold to Tottenham in December 1986 for £650,000. Tottenham manager David Pleat selected Hodge for a position on the wide left of a vibrant, attacking five-man midfield which also included England teammates Hoddle and Chris Waddle, Argentinian veteran Osvaldo Ardiles and hardworking ballwinner Paul Allen. Hodge scored on his debut on Boxing Day 1986 in a 4–0 win against West Ham United and scored three times more while creating assists for others as Spurs chased three trophies. Hodge's quest for domestic success eluded him as Spurs were knocked out by rivals Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup, tailed off in their First Division title challenge and came third, and lost the 1987 FA Cup final at Wembley 3–2 against Coventry City, following an outstanding 4–1 semi-final win over Watford in which Hodge scored twice.

Reader's Guide

Hodge was a left-footed midfielder comfortable in a central or wide position. He was a frequent goalscorer from midfield. At Tottenham, he played on the wide left of a five-man midfield. He won the League Cup with Forest in 1988–89 and 1989–90, and the First Division title with Leeds in 1991–92. He earned 24 caps for England and played in the 1986 World Cup, where he inadvertently set up Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal. After playing, he worked as development squad coach and caretaker manager at Notts County.

Did You Know?

• Hodge swapped shirts with Diego Maradona after the 1986 World Cup quarter-final; the shirt sold at auction in May 2022 for £7.1 million.
• He scored twice in Tottenham's 4–1 FA Cup semi-final win over Watford in 1987.
• Hodge's autobiography, published in 2010, is titled 'The Man With Maradona's Shirt'.