Paul Bodin

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 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.

Club career Early career Bodin began his career with Chelsea as a schoolboy, travelling via train to London Paddington station every weekend to train with the club. However, he left Stamford Bridge without making a first-team appearance for the "Blues" and moved onto a brief spell with Newport County under manager Len Ashurst, rejecting interest from his hometown side Cardiff City after watching Newport draw 2–2 with German side Carl Zeiss Jena in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. As a young trainee player, Bodin's role at the club included helping paint the stands at the club's Somerton Park ground. He eventually followed Ashurst to Cardiff. He was handed his professional debut on the opening day of the 1982–83 season against Wrexham at the age of 17. He quickly established himself in the first-team, making over 30 appearances in his first season, Jimmy Goodfellow then led Cardiff to a 15th-place finish in the 1983–84 season, before Alan Durban took charge at Ninian Park and led Cardiff to relegation in the 1984–85 campaign, after which Bodin left the club and joined Merthyr Tydfil. During his time as a semi-professional, he supplemented his income by working as a roofer's assistant and insurance salesman.

Bath City and Newport County He signed with Conference club Bath City, who finished 12th at the end of the 1985–86 season. He scored 21 goals for the "Romans" in the 1986–87 season, helping the Twerton Park club to a tenth-place finish. Bath were relegated to the Southern League out of the Conference in the 1987–88 season, though in January 1988 Bodin went in the opposite direction as he made a return to the English Football League with Brian Eastick's Newport for a £15,000 transfer fee, who themselves were heading for relegation at the end of the season. Newport's financial difficulties meant that Bath never received payment for Bodin's transfer.

Swindon Town and Crystal Palace Bodin left Newport for Second Division side Swindon Town in March 1988 for a fee of £30,000 after Eastick was ordered to sell players in an attempt to raise funds. Newport were forced to fold less than a year later with debts of over £300,000. Signed by Swindon as cover for Phil King; he signed a three-year contract. Lou Macari took the "Robins" to the play-offs in the 1988–89 season, where they were beaten by Crystal Palace. When King left for Sheffield Wednesday in November the following year, Bodin became the club's first-choice left-back. However, they were denied a place in the First Division due to a financial scandal after the club were found to have been making irregular payments to players, initially being demoted to the Second Division before being allowed to remain in the First Division on appeal. Bodin was sold to Steve Coppell's Crystal Palace for a £550,000 fee on 20 March 1991. Ardiles took him back into the Second Division with Newcastle United for a short loan spell in December 1991.

Return to Swindon Bodin returned to the County Ground just ten months after he had left - Glenn Hoddle paying a fee of £225,000 on 10 January 1992. He was named as the club's Player of the Season for 1992–93. He performed well in the Premier League, scoring seven league goals, including penalty strikes against Manchester United and Arsenal as Swindon were relegated at the end of the 1993–94 season.

Later career He was signed by his former teammate Jimmy Quinn at Reading in July 1996. He played for Swindon Supermarine later in the year.

International career During his time with Cardiff, Bodin won a single cap at under-21 level for Wales. Speaking in 2015, he said "I have had to live with that hurt and it never quite goes away".

Coaching career Bodin was appointed a coach in Swindon Town's youth team set-up in 2001. Following the arrival of Paolo Di Canio, Bodin rebuffed advances from Torquay United to become assistant manager under good friend Martin Ling, and opted to sign a new long-term deal with Swindon Town following the revelations he had been working without a contract for three and a half years. He left the club in June 2013. He went on to work in Southampton's Academy. He rejected the chance to follow Page to Northampton Town in May 2016, and resigned his post at Vale Park for personal reasons. In August 2019, Bodin was promoted from Wales under-19 coach to Wales under-21 team coach. In July 2022 Bodin's contract with Wales Under-21 was terminated by mutual consent.

Personal life His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours Cardiff City Football League Third Division second-place promotion: 1982–83

Swindon Town Football League Second Division play-offs: 1990 Football League First Division play-offs: 1991 Football League Second Division: 1995–96

Individual PFA Team of the Year (Second Division): 1990–91, 1995–96 Swindon Town F.C. Player of the Season: 1992–93