Steve STONE

Under Clark, Steve became a vital member of the Forest team that returned to the top-flight at the first time of asking, missing just one League game and scoring five goals. It was not in his usual central-midfield role, however, that Steve prospered, but in a new position wide on the right of the Reds midfield. Stone was nothing short of a revelation in Forest's splendid return to the Premiership, as the club exceeded all expectations with a third place finish. His tireless running up and down the right flank provided a fine balance to the more cultured, if slightly more laid-back, approach of Ian Woan on the left. Steve weighed in with five goals during the campaign, including three in the unbeaten run of thirteen games at the end of the season, which booked the Reds a return to European competition after an absence of eleven years. (David Scranage).

Steve's sparkling form continued into the 1995-96 season, prompting England manager Terry Venables to hand him his international debut in a 0-0 draw against Norway in October '95. He netted seven times in the League, whilst in the UEFA Cup it was the balding midfielder who scored the all-important goal which won the game for the Reds against French side Auxerre. His excellent form for both club and country earned him a place in Venables' squad for that unforgettable Euro '96 tournament but 'Bulldog', as he was affectionately known at the City Ground, had to be content with substitute appearances in the games against Switzerland, Scotland and Spain. The Gateshead-born midfielder's career appeared to be on the up-and-up, but just five games into the following season the injury jinx struck yet again. After only a few minutes of the game with local rivals Leicester City, Steve suffered a serious knee injury which ruled him out for the entire campaign.

He returned for the start of the 1997-98 season, as Forest lifted the First Division title to book an immediate return to the Premiership, but struggled to recapture the form which had made him such a favourite with the City Ground faithful. With the loss, for one reason or another, of Kevin Campbell, Colin Cooper and the moody Dutchman, Pierre Van Hooijdonk, it was always going to be a nigh on impossible task for the Reds to survive in the top flight. Steve, as ever, gave his all for the cause but when John Gregory offered him the chance to join Aston Villa the opportunity was to good to turn down. Forest, for their part, realised £5.5m on a player who had been a product of the clubs youth policy. (David Scranage)