Jason Dodd

Jason Robert Dodd ( born November 2, 1970 in Bath) is an English former football player and current coach. As a right-back who could also be used in the middle, he was active 1989-2005 for the first division club FC Southampton. The end of 2009, he returned there to guide the youth academy.

Sports career

Playing career

Beginnings (1988-1995)

Dodd joined in March 1989 the English first division club FC Southampton, after he had first experiences in the Southern League made ​​at his home-town club Bath City. The transfer fee was £ 50,000 and on 14 October 1989, he made ​​his debut at right-back in the First Division - at that time the highest English league - in the match at the Queens Park Rangers. There he won as well as 4-1 in the following match against last year's runners-up Liverpool and with a total of 21 league appearances in the starting line (you need an Substitutes ) he had a good first year as a pro. The strengths lay primarily in his "all abilities ", which is expressed in addition to the defensive qualities and a good heading ability, he often intervened in the offensive and had a good passing game. The durable sporting breakthrough seemed then in the 1991/92 season to follow after it in his second year Southampton - the place had to share at right-back with Olexij Tscherednik. But even in the second half of last season before the introduction of the Premier League in 1992, he then lost his starting place to Jeff Kenna.

Alter this situation for a long time nothing Dodd, although he nevertheless still came in the 1992/93 season on 30 league operations - mostly to other positions or as Kenna's representative. In the season 1993/94 he was only five times in the starting lineup and only the sale of the competitors at the Blackburn Rovers in March 1995 ensured that Dodd was back in Southampton " first choice " as a right defender. Previously, he usually acts in the midfield while achieving the end of December 1994 within two days two goals.

Regular player, team captain and " evergreen" (1995-2005)

Dodd profited from the opportunity offered and developed into a key player in the " Saints", who so well in the 1995/96 season was not only on the right side, but also in central defense, that voices were raised to him by appearances in the English U- 21 team at the beginning of the 1990s, also a future in the national team prophesied - but why it should not come. With its flexibility to interpret the full-back positions in midfield as a " Wingback " offensive or arrange in the center of defense for security, he was after a few injury problems at the start in the crucial stage of the season 1996/97 is an important factor on the way to relegation increasingly being targeted and ambitious wholesale clubs. As captain of the team, he also missed the 1997/98 season only three games, and with the remarkable goal against West Ham United ( 3-0 ) brought him the now almost customary " one hit per season ."

Injury Plagued Dodd walked through the 1998/99 season, in which he not only missed a number of games, but also in many remaining meetings for the relegation battle but repeated " fitgespritzt " was. In the absence of Matthew Le Tissier, he moved up to the first penalty taker and now in its eleventh season for Southampton FC, he qualified for a personal charity match in his honor ( " Testimonial Match" ). Although he has continued to be the rapidity number of shortcomings that he could often be offset by a good Stellungssspiel and anticipation skills. Through a knee operation in the summer of 2001, he came only as of October 2001, an increasing stakes and his return was accompanied by an upward trend in the sports team that finished a comfortable mid-table in the 2001/ 02 season at the end. At just 15 league games came Dodd injury plagued in the subsequent 2002/ 03, as he indeed still ran the captaincy, the position of right-back from December 2002 but lost to Paul Telfer. Due to his injuries, he also missed the final of the FA Cup against Arsenal (0-1).

He conquered in the 2003/04 season his place initially returned and completed 28 league games before against Wolverhampton Wanderers the inner band was injured in April 2004 in the left leg and downslope 2004 /05 did not play a significant role. Instead manager Harry Redknapp allowed him the end of March 2005 Lend Gage Ment at second division Plymouth Argyle to compete. There he showed his leadership qualities in four games before he was recalled from Southampton in the ultimately futile relegation battle without being considered concretely again for games.

Last active stations (2005-2006)

In July 2005, Dodd moved to second division Brighton & Hove Albion. Through constant injury problems, his hopes for a positive restart unfulfilled and after just seven league matches (the last in the Queens Park Rangers (1-1) in March 2006), he took his leave as Table as an active professional player. Then was its last player station in mid-2006 the Eastleigh FC in the Conference South before it in November 2006 as it announced his resignation after only a few games and aufrückte the head coach of the club office.

Trainer activities

Dodd led his first engagement as a chief responsibility for coaches in Eastleigh until his resignation in July 2007. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Southampton, there to assist head coach George Burley. After Burley's departure in January 2008, he took over for a short time as interim and, together with John Gorman its successor. In June 2008, the club presented him free again, and again he joined as a short-term head coach of a professional football clubs in appearance, when he, along with his former Southampton teammate Paul Williams led the fate of Aldershot Town in October 2009. A little later we went for a second time back to the " Saints", there to occupy the leading position as coach of the youth academy.