Now the Director of Football at Exeter City, Steve will be making the draw for the FA Cup fourth round together with Frank Stapleton at Soho Square on Monday.

Despite already enjoying an illustrious career, when Steve caught up with TheFA.com it was the future that he was focused upon.

Steve, how are things going at Exeter?

We had a great start to the season with six wins from an unbeaten eight games. That put us in pole position. A little blip followed but we recovered and remain very much in the frame. 

What is the secret of your success this season? 

We have a very good, solid squad of players but we have to keep improving - especially with our home results. The lads are building a great understanding with boss Alex Inglethorpe and they know exactly what is expected of them. Alex believes in picking a team for the occasion.

Therefore all the players get used. They all know they have a chance and no one is stuck out on the sidelines regularly. So the spirit here is very good. It augers well for a very busy period of games and a tense time as we head into the shake-up for the championship and the play-offs.

Who do you feel are your main rivals in the title chase? 

I see Grays as our main threat. They are very hard to beat. Ok, they haven’t been quite so convincing over the last few weeks, but they have adjusted well after promotion into the Conference and they will take some matching.

From an attacking sense, I think Grays are the best side we have played. They were vibrant with players full of energy and trickery when coming at us. Accrington have showed great form to go three points clear at the top. They are a very competitive outfit and I was impressed when we faced them. They have looked good value for their position in the table.

You can never write off Hereford and Stevenage. Historically, they always show a sound run of results at the important times to get themselves up there.

Sometimes Stevenage look out of it but then they come back with a bang. And Hereford have a wily manager with a good squad at his disposal with lots of experience in this league. So both those sides will be in contention. It is a very cut-throat league with so many clubs in with a shout.

Even Aldershot in mid-table are coming good and they will build up a head of steam before the end of the season. 

Exeter used to have celebrities like David Blaine, Uri Geller and Michael Jackson involved in fund raising activities four years ago when the club was in financial trouble. Times have changed haven't they?

Anyone who spoke about Exeter City in the past used to mention magicians and pop stars. Perhaps that is what the club deserved at the time. It was a bit of a laughing stock. But our form in recent seasons has brought credibility that was sorely lacking.

We have just missed out on the play-offs by a point over the past two years and we held Manchester United in the FA Cup last January. So it is no longer a circus at Exeter City. The club is on a safer footing financially due to the Cup bonanza against United.

Our gates look good with an average of more than 4,000, which is the best in the Conference. And we are making another strong assault on the top of the table. 

So the future looks bright then? 

The publicity stunts have finished at this club. All we want to do is concentrate on football activities. We will continue to work hard in training and match situations. And if we can make it back to the Football League, then our newborn reputation will be further enhanced.