Steve Daley

Football player infobox2
playername= Steve Daley


fullname =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1953|4|15
cityofbirth = Barnsley
countryofbirth = England
height = 5 ft 10 in
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs = Wath Wanderers
years = 1971-1979
1979-1981
1981-1983
1983-1984
1984
1985-1986
clubs = Wolves
Manchester City
Seattle Sounders
Burnley
San Diego Sockers
Walsall
caps(goals) = 212 (38)
048 0(4)
087 (23)
023 0(4)
019 0(3)
028 0(1)
manageryears =
managerclubs = Telford United
Bromsgrove Rovers
Bilston Town
nationalyears = 1978
nationalteam = England 'B'
nationalcaps(goals) = 006 0(2)

Steve Daley (born April 15, 1953 in Barnsley) is a former English footballer, who played as a midfielder. The most notorious incident in his career was his British record transfer to Manchester City in 1979, later described in a 2001 Observer article as "the biggest waste of money in football history". ref|OSM10

Daley began his football career as an apprentice at Wolves, after arriving at the club via their feeder team Wath Wanderers based in Yorkshire. He signed professionally in 1971, and made his first team debut later that year on September 18, coming on as substitute in a 0-2 defeat at Newcastle United.

He won a League Cup winners medal with the club in 1974 and played in their run through to the 1972 UEFA Cup Final, scoring a vital goal in the semi final against Ferencváros inside the first minute. He was an ever-present in the 1976-77 season, scoring 13 goals, and a further 8 the following season saw him receive an England 'B' call up. He played 6 times for the 'B' side during 1978, scoring twice (against Singapore and Czechoslovakia 'B').

In September 1979, Daley was transferred to Manchester City for a fee of £1,437,500, a British record. Daley struggled at Maine Road, and gained a reputation as a big-money misfit. Twenty months later, he was transferred to the Seattle Sounders of the NASL for £300,000, little more than a fifth of his original transfer cost. He made the NASL All-Star second team in 1982 and 1983 before moving back to Britain.

He joined Burnley, but soon returned to North America to play for the San Diego Sockers. His professional playing career ended at Walsall in 1986, although he continued to turn out for non-league sides such as Lye Town and Kettering Town. Following his retirement from playing, Daley intended to become a coach, and briefly managed non-league Telford United and Bromsgrove Rovers. Daley then quit football and joined the pub trade. He currently works as a sales manager for a catering company.ref|pub

Notes

# cite web | title=The 10 biggest wastes of money in football history | work=Observer article | url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,543912,00.html| accessdate=March 22 | accessyear=2006
# cite web | title=Steve Daley | work=Observer profile | url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1720978,00.html| accessdate=March 22 | accessyear=2006