Stuart Pearce - a look back at the legend
by Alex Walker for www.leftlion.co.uk

Last month, hundreds of Forest fans cracked open a cold can of beer, sat down in front of their television sets and cheered on a legend - Stuart Pearce was appearing on Superstars.

Only a player with such legendary status as Pearce could have caused such a happening. Arsenal fans don't whoop with delight whenever Ian Wright presents the National Lottery or cringe when David Seaman takes a roasting on They Think It's All Over. Manchester United supporters don't religiously buy Eric Cantona's latest straight-to-video flicks. Tottenham fans don't swell with pride every time Gary Lineker makes an insightful comment on Match of the Day.

But Forest fans have no qualms about displaying such irrational emotional outbursts when it comes to Stuart Pearce, for Superstars was a chance for them to relive all those great memories of a player whose popularity in Nottingham is rivalled only by the man who signed him.

Stuart joined Forest from Coventry City in 1985 in a joint deal with Ian Butterworth. At the time he was considered the lesser of the two players.

Butterworth was to struggle in the first team, soon to be replaced at centre back by another Forest hero, Des Walker. Meanwhile, Pearce was making ends meet by advertising his services as an electrician in the matchday programme. But soon he was a regular in the team and his only notable side-line was attending punk rock gigs.

At 41, Pearce struggled to keep up with the other Superstars athletes for most of the competition, but a strong finish on the mountain bikes gave him a respectable fourth place overall.

Stuart never was a born winner. It was only in the very last season of his 20 year career that he managed to pick up a league championship medal, helping Manchester City to the First Division title in the 2001/02 season. In the final game of that season, he managed to miss two penalties meaning he finished his career one goal short of the 100 milestone. He laughed the incident off as another example of his confounded bad luck.

He was part of two Forest teams that verged on brilliance: Brian Clough's side of the late eighties and Frank Clark's 1995 team that finished third in the Premiership. But in both those periods the Reds never quite fulfilled their potential, leaving Pearce with only a few cup-winners medals to show for 12 years loyal service to the club.

Nicknamed 'Psycho', owing to his resemblance to the Hitchcock character Norman Bates (although the mantle also happened to suit his fearsome, uncompromising attitude on the pitch), it was Pearce's loyalty and commitment that endeared him to the fans so much.

When Forest were relegated in 1993, he would have been forgiven for following the likes of Walker, Clough and Keane out of the door. At the time he was at the height of his ability and captain of England, so few would have begrudged him a chance to continue at the highest level. But he stayed and the fans loved him for it.

During the Superstars show the focus was on Pearce's personality. He was the joker in the pack - "Don't ping it on me lugs," he pleaded during some swimming cap capers. He would have been excused finishing last place amongst the younger competitors, but he surprised everyone with just how fit he still was.

Stuart Pearce was always more than just a strong personality. Other footballing 'characters' come and go, but Pearce proved himself over and over as one of the best English left backs ever.

He was tough and unforgiving in the tackle, but never dirty. He charged up the left wing like a steam train - not only were the opposition's attackers afraid of him, but the full-backs had to be wary too.

He also had a nack for scoring thunderous free-kicks, netting at Wembley and Old Trafford in famous games with his hammer of a left foot.

That hammer sometimes got him into trouble though. His penalty miss in the 1990 world cup haunted him for six years until he put the ghosts to rest by drilling home two spot-kicks during Euro 96.

The outburst that followed is one of the defining images of Pearce's career - his passion for club and country on show for everyone to see.

Euro 96 was the moment when the country woke up to what Forest fans had known for years - Pearce was an exceptional player and a priceless character to have in the game. After finally leaving Forest in 1997, Pearce went to Newcastle, then West Ham and finally Man City, picking up new devotees along the way.

He had just recovered from one broken leg and was making his comeback for West Ham when the unthinkable happened and he broke it again. Not only did Pearce finish the game, he made a full recovery from the second break. At the age of 39, the club's physios had given him little chance of ever playing again, but he went on to make over 50 appearances for the Hammers.

When he came back to Nottingham in Manchester City colours in 2001, he was greeted by the home crowd in an almost worshipful manner. He returned the favour with an acknowledging salute to the Trent End - minutes later he was flying into crunching tackles on Forest's young players. Psycho was nothing if not professional.

At the moment Pearce is coaching at Man City and also involved with the England Under 18s team. "Football's in my blood - and eventually I want to be the one making decisions. It is my long term ambition to go into management," he said in a recent interview.

His previous experience as player-manager at Forest in 1997 showed that at the time he wasn't ready - he recalls picking his team for his first match in charge and neglecting to select a goalkeeper until his wife Liz pointed out his over-sight. He was voted Manager of the Month in his first month in charge, but the early success didn't last. Forest were relegated from the Premiership that season.

Six years later and with coaching badges under his belt, the time may be right for Pearce to go into full-time management. Speculation has linked him to a number of clubs recently and many think he is destined to one day return to Forest with the experience to manage them successfully.

If the reaction across Nottinghamshire households during half an hour of prime-time television was anything to go by, Stuart Pearce at the helm again would be a sight sure to fill the City Ground.