STUART PEARCE FACTFILE

Born: Hammersmith, 1962 (Age 52) Playing Career: A left-back, Pearce began his career with Non-League Wealdstone before joining top-flight outfit Coventry City for £30,000 in 1983. He made 52 appearances and scored four times before moving to Forest as the makeweight in a £300,000 deal taking Coventry centre-back Ian Butterworth to the City Ground. Yet while Butterworth played just 27 times, Pearce eventually made 522 appearances, won two League Cups, multiple player of the year awards and spent several years as skipper – even staying put when the Reds were relegated to Division One in 1993. He left to join Newcastle in 1997 (where he played in the Champions League), then spent time at West Ham before leading Man City to the 2001-02 First Division title in his final season as a pro. A prolific set-piece taker, he scored 99 career goals and missed a penalty in the final game of his career. Pearce also spent 12 years in the England set-up, reaching the semi-finals of both Italia 90 and Euro 96. He earned 78 caps. Managerial Career: Appointed caretaker-boss of Man City in March 2005, Pearce guided the club to within a point of European qualification and was handed a permanent contract. But a 15th-placed finish in 2005-06 and a wretched campaign the following season brought the axe down in May 2007. Pearce agreed to manage England U21s under Steve McClaren and spent the next six years with the youngsters, reaching the semis of the European Championships in 2007 and the final in 2009, losing 4-0 to a Germany side featuring several future World Cup winners. During this time he also spent time as assistant to Fabio Capello in the full England set-up and coached Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics. Joined Forest as manager in June 2014.