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Derek Statham arrived on the South Coast two games into the 1987-88
season having spent the previous 12 years on the books of his only other
club, West Bromwich Albion. Chris Nicholl, Southampton's manager, had
been searching for a left back ever since he and the popular but
problematic Mark Dennis had fallen out. The fee was £100, 000, a snip
considering Derek, aged 28, was an England international in his prime.
Liverpool had been prepared to sign him a few months previously, for a
quarter of a million pounds, but an Achilles heel injury had caused the
deal to fall through and Nicholl duly stepped in to reacquaint Derek
with life in the First Division. His Saints debut came in the local
derby against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on August 22nd, and although he
made a poor clearance which led to Pompey's opening goal he soon
settled to the extent that he was ever present from then on in.
He
scored his first goal for the Saints against Bournemouth in the
Littlewoods Cup and his quiet efficiency and firm tackling led to him
being voted the fans 'Player of the Year' for 1987-88. Derek started the
following campaign encouragingly, becoming the club's penalty taker for
a period - he scored from the spot against Liverpool, Sheffield
Wednesday and Derby County - until an injury sidelined him in
mid-January during a home game with Middlesbrough. He never truly fought
his way back to full fitness and when Nicholl signed Micky Adams from
Leeds United just before the transfer deadline, and with youngster Andy
Cook impressing in the reserves, Derek's future at the Dell grew
increasingly bleak. In the ensuing summer Statham moved back to his
native Midlands to join Alan Ball's Stoke City, having made a total of
75 appearances during his time at The Dell. (Duncan Holley).
1977–1987 West Bromwich Albion 299 (8)
1987–1989 Southampton 64 (2)
1989–1991 Stoke City 41 (1)
1991–1993 Walsall 50 (0)
1993–1994 Telford United 34 (0)
Total 488 (11 goals)
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