Englishmen Abroad: Chris Waddle

He was also one of a number of English players who moved oversees in the 1980s as the UEFA ban on English clubs' competing in Europe increased the allure of playing abroad.

After a productive spell at Tow Law Town, local giants Newcastle United, then of the Second Division, bought the 20-year-old in the summer of 1980. In that first season at St. James' Park, Waddle impressed all and manager Arthur Cox soon had him playing regularly in the side.

Waddle eventually made his debut for England towards the end of his fifth and final year at Newcastle, playing against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley in a March 1985 friendly.

In the summer of '85 the then Tottenham manager Peter Shreeves stole Waddle away from Newcastle by paying out £600,000. It turned out to be money well spent as Waddle turned on the style at White Hart Lane for four wonderful seasons.

After a solid if unspectacular 1986 World Cup in Mexico (he played four of England's five games), Waddle retuned to North London to play his part in one of Tottenham's best years in recent memory.

Now managed by David Pleat, Spurs finished third in the league behind Liverpool and champions Everton. Going into The Cup Final in May, Spurs were thus heavy favourites to win the old trophy for the seventh time but despite an early strike from Clive Allen, Waddle's side fell 3-2 to Coventry - the first time Tottenham had lost an FA Cup Final.

With 40-odd England caps to his name, Waddle was bought by French club Olympique de Marseille in the summer of 1989. The fee of £4.5 million was the third biggest of all time, behind only Maradona and Ruud Gullit, and saw Waddle take his place in an exciting team which had just won the French domestic double.

Waddle's first season on the Cote d'Azur saw Marseille retain their championship and reach the semi-finals of the European Cup. Having beaten Benfica 2-1 at home, their 1-0 loss in Lisbon saw them tumble out of the competition at the cruelest stage.

However the following season, 1990/91, Marseille once again embarked on their mission to try to become the first French side to win Europe's elite club competition. With Waddle playing an integral part in the side, they cruised through to the quarter-finals where they met the champions - the mighty Milan.

After drawing away in Italy, Marseille brought the rossoneri back to the Velodrome where, infront of 60,000 passionate fans, Marseille won through thanks to a single goal from Waddle. A high, hanging cross from the left found Waddle perfectly positioned and, unmarked, his right-footed shot went back across goal, beating the Milan 'keeper to squeeze inside the right post.

Marseille beat Spartak twice in the semi-final to set up a Final against Red Star Belgrade in Bari. In one of the worst finals ever seen, Red Star cynically played out a 0-0 draw almost from the start, their game plan obviously more aimed at stifling Marseille's creative forces, Waddle included, than at winning the game themselves.

Though they were favourites before the match, Marseille were a spent force by the time of the penalty shoout-out and Red Star took the giant trophy back to Yugoslavia after winning the spot-kick contest 5-3.

Waddle spent just one more year in France, in which Marseille yet again won the French championship. In the European Cup there was further heartache for Waddle and his team-mates as Sparta Prague put paid to their hopes of reaching another final, knocking them out in just the second round.

Waddle moved to Sheffield Wednesday in July 1993 in a deal worth £1.25 million. Whilst his old club Marseille finally secured the European Cup, Wednesday reached the Final of both the FA Cup and the League Cup, though they lost both to George Graham's Arsenal.

Despite the fact that Waddle scored just the one League goal for The Owls, his inspirational performances throughout the season saw Waddle voted as the 1993 PFA Player of the Year - the only individual honour of his career.

After over 100 League appearances for Wednesday, Waddle enjoyed further spells at Falkirk, Bradford City, Sunderland and Burnley before moving into non-league football with Worksop Town in 2000.

Chris Waddle Factfile

Nationality: English
Place of Birth: Gateshead, England
Date of Birth: 14 December 1960 
Height: 6' 0''
Clubs: Newcastle, Tottenham, Marseille, Sheffield Wed, Falkirk, Bradford City, Sunderland, Burnley 
Position: Right-wing/Midfielder

Chris Waddle's Honours

1990 French Championship
1991 French Championship
1992 French Championship
1993 PFA Player of the Year