Steve Walford

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Steve Walford (born 5 January 1958) is a former English footballer turned manager. He is currently first team coach at Aston Villa, the position he took up when Martin O'Neill became manager at the club.

[edit] Biography

Walford played as a centre half and started his playing career at Tottenham Hotspur in 1974, making only two appearances before being signed by Arsenal's former Spurs manager Terry Neill for £25,000 in 1977. Walford played 77 league matches in four years for Arsenal, and played as a substitute in their 1979 FA Cup-winning side. In 1981 he moved to Norwich City for £160,000 and stayed there for three years, seeing the club through relegation from and then promotion to the First Division.

After 108 appearances for Norwich, Walford moved on to West Ham United in 1983; he played 115 times for the Hammers over the next four years. Towards the end of his West Ham career, he had loan spells at Huddersfield Town, Gillingham and West Bromwich Albion. He moved abroad to play for Lai Sun of Hong Kong in 1989 before returning to England to play for Wycombe Wanderers under Martin O'Neill the following year.

After a brief spell at Wealdstone, Walford returned to Wycombe to become O'Neill's assistant, and has maintained a lasting working partnership with the Irishman ever since, working under O'Neill at Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and currently Aston Villa.