It would take a top signing to replace Mark Dennis

After Mark Dennis was first suspended Saints once again relied on fill ins for the left back spot, the position alternating between David Armstrong and Andy Townsend, sadly Nick Holmes who would have been ideal had been forced to retire due to injury.

Initially in the first two games of 1987/88 it would be 18 year old Andy Cook who would wear the number 3 shirt, however despite the fact Saints drew with Man Utd at home and beat Norwich away, no one was any doubt that experience was needed, especially since the defence was decimated after the loss of Peter Shilton, Mark Wright and even last years fill in David Armstrong.

That experience came in the form of West Brom and England defender Derek Statham, to put the signing in context, Statham had almost signed for Liverpool in 86/87 but the deal had fallen through on medical grounds, therefore Chris Nicholl was able to snatch Statham for a knockdown £100k.

He was an immediate success, in a 40 game season he would not miss a game after joining and ended the season being voted Player Of The Year, an accolade that despite a illustrious list of contenders has only been won three times by a left back in its 37 year history, David Peach in 1976, Statham in 87 and more rrecently Wayne Bridge in 2001, not even Mark Dennis as popular as he was could persuade the fans that he was the best player in any of the four seasons he was at the club.

After such a great season what was perhaps more surprising though was how quickly he departed, perhaps Chris Nicholl had seen something the fans hadnt, although Statham was a virtual ever present up until March 89, suddenly Nicholl signed Micky Adams and put him into the team ahead of Statham who after missing only two games in his 18 months at the club suddenly would only play once more in his Saints career, something strange happened, some say Statham was struggling with injury, but the record books dont show that, OK his second season wasnt as good as his first, but then again he set himself high standards in that debut season, the signing of Adams looked a littel bit of a panic buy, to be fair although Saints needed to freshen up a bit in that they were on a slippery slope at that point, certainly left back wasnt the real problem area, apart from Statham who having just turned 30 still had a year or two in him, there was also Francis benali and Jeff Kenna coming through.

He went off to Stoke where he played nearly 50 games in two years and then Walasall where he topped the half century mark in his time there, finishing that off with a year with Telford in the football Conference, if he was injured again his stats dont show it.

When great left backs are mentioned Statham's name is often overlooked, but fact of the matter is in a short stay he achieved almost as much as those who played a lot longer, he turned out on 78 occasions for the club, it could have and should have been a lot more, now living in Spain he was recently voted one of the top 16 players in West Brom's history

Photo: Action Images

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