Steve
Bruce
- Appearances414
- Total goals51
Pound for pound, the £825,000 Alex Ferguson paid Norwich City for this craggy, uncompromising centre-half two weeks short of his 27th birthday in December 1987, was one of the best deals Manchester United have ever done.
Bruce’s central defensive partnership with Gary Pallister – the pair were affectionately dubbed ‘Dolly and Daisy’ – was the bedrock on which three Championship-winning sides were built (1993, 1994 and 1996), as well as successes in the European Cup Winners' Cup (1991), FA Cup (1994, 1996) and the League Cup (1992). It was arguably Bruce’s two critical late, late goals – a pair of towering headers – against Sheffield Wednesday that tipped the 1992/93 Premiership title race in United’s favour and really got the ball rolling for United’s dominance of the modern game. Bruce’s was a steady climb to the football summit. A product of the famous Wallsend Boys Club that gave the game talents like Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and Michael Carrick, he represented Newcastle schoolboys, but was rejected at 16 by his boyhood idols, as well as Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday and Southport because he was perceived to be too small. He subsequently got a job at the Swan Hunter shipyard as a trainee plumber but a week before he was due to start was offered an apprenticeship with Gillingham. After making his league debut for the Gills at the start of the 1979/80 season while still just 17, he went on to make more than 200 league appearances for the Kent club before Norwich paid £135,000 for his services in August 1984. At Carrow Road, Bruce won a League Cup winner’s medal in 1985 and the Second Division Championship medal the following year. Remarkably, for all his subsequent honours at Old Trafford, Bruce was never selected for a full England cap, though he did lead the side at B level. He finally left the Reds on a free transfer for Birmingham City in the 1996 close season after nine years, 414 appearances and a prolific 51 goals. Assisted by his accuracy from the penalty spot he had remarkably finished as the club’s joint top scorer in 1990/91 with 19 goals in all competitions. In 1998 he started out on the management trail with Sheffield United as player-manager, and has also been in charge at Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, Wigan, Sunderland, Hull City and currently Aston Villa.
Defender
England
31 Dec 1960
17 Dec 1987
19 Dec 1987
v Portsmouth (A) League
31 May 1996
Goal of the Day | Steve Bruce was in the right place at the right time to score against Leeds in 1992...
How much would Steve Bruce be worth today? The legendary defender joined United 35 years ago, on 17 December 1987...
We're marking the 35th anniversary of the legendary defender's signing, with this extract from a new United book.
10 April 1993: Steve Bruce ensures legendary status with two magnificent late headers in an Old Trafford classic...
We look at dugouts across England and further afield, following Ruud van Nistelrooy's appointment as PSV Eindhoven boss.
16 October 2004: Sir Alex's opposite number in the technical area was former Red Steve Bruce...
Following on from last week's feature, we're looking at another great United shirt from the past...
We recall when the Reds have entered the transfer market during the festive period.
Steve Bruce signed for United on this day in 1987, so here’s an absolutely textbook header from our former defender…
25 February 1996: The Reds were in ruthless form as they hit Bolton for six at Burnden Park...
7 March 1995: It seemed the points would be shared until a late goal from Steve Bruce gave United victory.
27 August 1994: A first away win of the seasons for the Reds thanks to a goal from Steve Bruce.
4 January 1994: Sir Alex Ferguson's side made the trip to Anfield for what was to be a pulsating league clash...
29 December 1993: Our final game of the calendar year was a seven-goal thriller at Boundary Park...
1 September 1993: Sir Alex Ferguson's side kicked off September with a fifth win in six games, against the Hammers...