Paul Bodin

Who is this?

Paul John Bodin (born 13 September 1964) is a Welsh former professional footballer and coach. His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer. A former Chelsea youth team product, he moved to Cardiff City via Newport County in 1982. He helped Cardiff to win promotion out of the Third Division in 1982–83. He returned to non-League football with Merthyr Tydfil and Bath City in 1985 before rejoining Newport for a £15,000 fee in January 1988. Two months later he was sold on to Swindon Town for twice this sum and became the club's first-choice left-back, helping them to win the 1990 Second Division play-off final and winning himself a place on the PFA Team of the Year in 1990–91. He was sold to Crystal Palace for £550,000 in March 1991 but was loaned out to Newcastle United before being sold back to Swindon for £225,000 in January 1992. Named as Swindon's Player of the Season in 1992–93, he scored the winning goal in the 1993 First Division play-off final. He featured in the Premier League, though after two successive relegations, he again earned a place on the Second Division's PFA Team of the Year in 1995–96. He then spent two seasons with Reading, as well as a loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers, before entering management with Bath City in 1998. He also won 23 caps for Wales between 1990 and 1994. He spent three seasons as Bath City's manager before spending 12 years as a youth team coach at Swindon, also spending two games in caretaker charge of the first team in 2011. He then coached at Southampton's Academy before becoming assistant manager at Port Vale in May 2015. In August 2019, he was promoted from Wales under-19 coach to Wales under-21 head coach, remaining in the role until July 2022.

Career

1. 1964
   Born
2. 1981
   Joined Chelsea F.C.
3. 1982
   Joined Cardiff City F.C.
4. 1982
   Joined Newport County A.F.C.
5. 1983
   Joined Wales national under-21 football team
6. 1985
   Joined Bath City F.C.
7. 1985
   Joined Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
8. 1988
   Joined Swindon Town F.C.
9. 1988
   Joined Newport County A.F.C.
10. 1990
    Joined Wales men's national association football team
11. 1991
    Joined Newcastle United F.C.
12. 1991
    Joined Crystal Palace F.C.
13. 1992
    Joined Swindon Town F.C.
14. 1996
    Joined Reading F.C.
15. 1997
    Joined Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
16. 1998
    Joined Bath City F.C.

Trivia

• •Place of birth: Cardiff
• •Citizenship: United Kingdom
• •Known as: association football player, association football coach, engineer
• •Sport: association football