Jim Steel (footballer)

This article is about the footballer from Dalbeattie who played for Oldham Athletic, Wrexham and Tranmere Rovers. For the footballer who played in Scotland, USA and for Southampton, see Jim Steele (footballer).

Jim Steel
Personal information
Full name William James Steel[1]
Date of birth (1959-12-04) 4 December 1959 (age 64)
Place of birth Dumfries, Scotland
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
Oldham Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1983 Oldham Athletic 108 (24)
1982 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 2 (2)
1982–1983 → Wrexham (loan) 9 (6)
1983–1984 Port Vale 28 (6)
1984–1987 Wrexham 164 (51)
1987 → Deportivo de La Coruña (loan) 4 (0)
1987–1992 Tranmere Rovers 174 (29)
Total 489 (118)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William James Steel (born 4 December 1959) is a Scottish former professional association footballer. A big, aggressive player, his position was centre forward.

After starting his career with Oldham Athletic in 1978, he moved onto Port Vale in March 1983 for a £10,000 fee, following loan spells at Wigan Athletic and Wrexham. He won promotion with the club in 1982–83 before he joined Wrexham for £10,000 in January 1984. He scored a critical goal in his two European campaigns during his four years with the club and lifted the Welsh Cup. After a brief spell on loan at Deportivo de La Coruña, he then enjoyed numerous successes with Tranmere Rovers after joining the club in 1987. During his five years, the club won promotion twice and reached the final of the Football League Trophy twice, winning it in 1990. He retired in 1992, having made 485 league appearances in a fourteen-year career in the Football League, scoring 118 goals.

  1. ^ "Jim Steel". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ Rollin, Jack, ed. (1980). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 404. ISBN 0362020175.