Derek Statham Explained

Derek Statham
Fullname:Derek James Statham
Birth Date:1959 3, df=y
Birth Place:Wolverhampton, England
Position:Full-back
Height:5 ft 5 in[1]
Years1:1976–1987
Caps1:299
Goals1:8
Years2:1987–1989
Clubs2:Southampton
Caps2:64
Goals2:2
Years3:1989–1991
Clubs3:Stoke City
Caps3:41
Goals3:1
Years4:1991–1993
Clubs4:Walsall
Caps4:50
Goals4:0
Years5:1993–1994
Clubs5:Telford United
Caps5:34
Goals5:0
Totalcaps:488
Totalgoals:11
Nationalyears1:1977–1982
Nationalteam1:England U21
Nationalcaps1:6
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:1983
Nationalteam2:England
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals2:0

Derek James Statham (born 24 March 1959) is an English former footballer who played at defensive left-back. He played for West Bromwich Albion, Southampton, Walsall and Stoke City.[2]

Statham won three international caps for England in 1983 under the management of Bobby Robson.

Career

Statham was born in Wolverhampton and began his career with West Bromwich Albion where he earned a reputation as a solid, classy defender with excellent passing ability. He made over 330 league and cup appearances for West Brom, playing for several years alongside Bryan Robson and the 'Three Degrees' of Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson in an impressive side assembled by Ron Atkinson.[3] In total Statham spent 12 years at the Hawthorns making 373 appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals in all competitions.

Statham left West Brom for Southampton in 1987, playing alongside a young Alan Shearer (in his first professional season) and Matthew Le Tissier, and was an immediate success winning the club's player of the season award for 1987–88. He stayed at Southampton for the 1988–89 season before joining Stoke City in August 1989.[2] He played 21 times for Stoke in 1989–90 as the team suffered relegation to the Third Division. He played in 28 games in 1990–91 before being released at the end of the season.[2]

He later played for Walsall, where he played his final professional game in the 1992–93 season. His last team were semi-professional side Telford United in the English Football Conference, where he was a mainstay for the 1993–94 season.

In 2004, he was named as one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest ever players, in a poll organised as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations.[4]

Career statistics

Club

Source:

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Bromwich Albion1976–77First Division161000000161
1977–78First Division400603000490
1978–79First Division391603080561
1979–80First Division160205020250
1980–81First Division310004000350
1981–82First Division350518120502
1982–83First Division322201000352
1983–84First Division160100000170
1984–85First Division304104000354
1985–86First Division370216020471
1986–87Second Division6010000070
1987–88Second Division1000000010
Total299826234114037311
1987–88First Division380202110411
1988–89First Division262215020353
Total642417130764
Stoke City1989–90Second Division190002000210
1990–91Third Division221303000281
Total411305000491
Walsall1991–92Fourth Division290002020330
1992–93Third Division210003030270
Total500005050600
Telford United1993–94Football Conference340000000340
Career Total4881133351222059416

A.  The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy, Full Members Cup, and UEFA Cup.

International

Source:[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 . Peter . Dunk . Queen Anne Press . London . 1987 . 384 . 978-0-356-14354-5.
  2. Book: Matthews, Tony. The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. 1994. Lion Press. 0-9524151-0-0.
  3. Web site: Albion legends – Derek Statham. Birmingham Mail. 15 January 2008 . 9 May 2013.
  4. News: 4 August 2004 . The wraps come off 125th anniversary mural . West Bromwich Albion F.C. . 10 May 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080202125701/http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0%2C%2C10366~547701%2C00.html . 2 February 2008 . dmy.
  5. Web site: England players: Derek Statham . englandfootballonline.com . 29 March 2021 . 11 October 2020.