Name: Steven Paul Thompson
Seasons Played: 1980/81-1984/85, 1989/90-1990/91
Position: Centre-half
Date of Birth: 28.07.1955
Birthplace: Sheffield
City Debut: 09.08.1980, Hull City (h), League Cup
League Debut: 16.08.1980, Peterborough United (h), Div 4
League Games: 180+1
League Goals: 8
Career: Sheffield United, Frecheville, Worksop Town, Boston United, LCFC, Charlton Athletic, Leicester City, Sheffield United, LCFC.

Steve Thompson was a commanding central defender who quickly developed a strong partnership with Trevor Peake in the middle of the back four which proved to be a kay feature of Colin Murphy's early 1980's side.

Sheffield-born Thompson began his career with Sheffield United but after failing to make the grade he joined non-League Boston United where he remained until April 1980 when he joined the Imps for a fee of £15,000.

He went on to make 154 Football League outings for City before moving on to Charlton Athletic for a similar fee in August 1985. He was named "Player Of The Season" in 1981/82 whilst the Imps lost just nine times from his first 61 outings!

He spent three seasons with Charlton before moving to Leicester City in the summer of 1988. He failed to appear in the Foxes' first team though and it wasn't long before he was on the move again, this time to Sheffield United.

After 20 appearances for the Blades, Colin Murphy brought Thompson back to Sincil Bank as captain but a number of injuries meant that the 1989/90 season was his last as a player with his final game being a 5-1 home defeat by Exeter City.

Thompson was still registered as a player at the start of the following season though but, when Allan Clarke was dismissed as manager, he became the Board's choice as his successor and immediately lifted the Club off the bottom of the table to a respectable mid-table finish.

He went on to manage the Imps for 114 League games, registering 46 wins and 31 draws, and left before the final match of the 1992/93 season with the Board announcing that his contract wouldn't be renewed with the Club missing out on the play-offs.

After leaving the Imps he joined Kevin Keegan's coaching staff at Newcastle United before spending three months as assistant manager at Doncaster Rovers.

He later became Director of Football at Southend United, taking over as manager when Peter Taylor departed and despite agreeing to stay with the Shrimpers, he left to join Colin Murphy as assistant manager at Notts County in June 1995.

County made the play-offs in their first season in charge, but struggled the following season and both Murphy and Thompson were sacked. Thompson then joined the coaching staff at Sheffield United and when manager Nigel Spackman resigned in March 1998, Thompson was made acting-manager, guiding the Blades to the play-offs and the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Despite this success, he was replaced in July by Steve Bruce.

In late December 2004, Thompson returned to the game as manager of struggling League Two side Cambridge United, but was made redundant the following summer having failed to prevent Cambridge's relegation to the Conference.

He then worked as a summariser for BBC Radio Lincolnshire but it wasn't long before he was back in a managerial hot seat, penning a three-year deal with Notts County in June 2006. His first game as County manager was, ironically, at Sincil Bank against the Imps on the opening day of this season.

A fine all-round sportsman in his schooldays, Thompson represented Yorkshire and football, cricket and basketball.