Glenn Hoddle inspired Swindon to the Premier League as a player-coach ahead of the 1993–94 season.
Anyone who saw Glenn Hoddle in his erratic peak will tell you the same thing: he was a genius.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, and England midfielder was as graceful and visionary as any player in international football on his day; just ask former teammate Micky Hazard, who came up through the ranks at Spurs while Hoddle was wowing spectators across the country.
“As an apprentice at Spurs, I watched the first team train and thought he was just the best player in the world,” Hazard tells FourFourTwo. “Glenn Hoddle was just amazing. I don’t believe you can paint a portrait of Glenn that does him credit. He personified the footballer who was born to play football; he was a perfect master of the ball, using either his foot or any part of his body. That didn’t change even when I played alongside him. It was a privilege to observe him at work.”
Hazard left Chelsea in 1985, but he rejoined with Hoddle at Swindon Town in 1991, when Hoddle arrived from Monaco as player-coach. As a player-coach, Hoddle led the Robins to the Premier League in 1993-94 before moving to manage Chelsea. Hoddle’s robins were quite. My schoolboy hero has suddenly taken over management of me. When Glenn came in, I realized I could play to my strengths; I played good football, and it was a pleasure to be a part.
of that particular team. That Swindon side was really good, with an aggressive mindset. Being promoted via the play-offs in Glenn’s second season was an incredible feat for a club like Swindon. People used to laugh at us and say it was embarrassing that our player-coach was our best player, but he was just the best. He would have been the best player for any club. It was not our fault.
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