Position: | Left-back |
Appearances: | 522 |
Goals: | 88 |
Managers: | Brian Clough (1985-93), Frank Clark (1993-96) |
Years at Nottingham Forest: | 1985-1997 |
When Clough signed Stuart Pearce after two seasons at Coventry City in 1985, the defender was hardly expected to become a legend at Nottingham Forest. Yet the next 12 years would see ‘Psycho’ cement a place in City Ground folklore and spend most of them as the captain.
Pearce would also captain the Reds to an immediate return to the top-flight in 1993/94 after Clough retired upon relegation. While the England cult hero also became the club’s caretaker manager-player in 1996/97 when Frank Clark resigned but he could not stop their relegation.
Nottingham Forest later brought Pearce back to the City Ground in 2014 as their manager. Yet while he would only spend a season at their helm, Pearce’s legacy with the Reds remains untarnished. His career at the club also featured League Cup titles in 1988/89 and 1989/90.
Pearce wrote his name in the pages of Nottingham Forest’s history books with a free-kick in the 1991 FA Cup final, as well. While fans bestowed the full-back the nickname ‘Psycho’ for his intensity and tough tackling. Goals were not too rare for Pearce, either, having scored 88.