MAKING HIS MARK

TOM GREEN TAKES A LOOK BACK AT THE CAREER OF FORMER AC MILAN, RANGERS AND ENGLAND STRIKER MARK HATELEY

IT'S a shame for football that the days of all-action target men like Mark Hateley are long gone.

They could hold the ball up, bring others into play, get on the end of crosses into the box and generally cause mayhem. Their strike partners loved them, while opposition defenders knew they would be in for a real battle.

Hateley was born in Derby and his dad, Tony, was a well-known goalscorer for the likes of Notts County, Aston Villa and Liverpool.

After beginning his career at Nottingham Forest and Brian Clough telling him he wasn't talented enough, the young Hateley found himself at Coventry City. He made his name in the top flight with the Sky Blues, scoring 25 league goals in just under a century of appearances in the late 70s and early 80s.

Second Division Portsmouth were, somewhat surprisingly, his next stop, much to the anger of his father who had told him not to drop from the top division as he could struggle to find a way back.

Hateley had already made his England U21 debut and his form for Pompey kept him in the fold. Having shone in the European U21 Championships in 1984, a phone call from then-England manager Bobby Robson would change Hateley's life forever.

With Mexico 1986 two years away, England were in South America for a 'warm up' and Robson wanted the striker on the trip. A debut against the USSR was followed by a goal in the famous 2-0 win against Brazil in the Maracana, a game best remembered for launching John Barnes onto the world stage following his mazy dribble and brilliant solo goal.

Among the stellar names of the England squad was soon-to-be AC Milan midfielder Ray Wilkins. Wilkins told Hateley Milan wanted him, asked the youngster if he would be interested and left the conversation there.