Jason Robert Dodd (born 2 November 1970) is an English former footballer and manager, who spent most of his playing career with Southampton, where he was briefly First-Team Coach. He left the position as Caretaker Manager of Football League Two side Aldershot Town on 4 November 2009 to return to former club Southampton as director of the youth academy.

[edit] Playing career

Dodd was born in Bath, Somerset and attended the Beechen Cliff School. He joined Southampton from Bath City in 1989 for a fee of £15,000.

In December 2003, Dodd was initially credited with scoring a goal directly from a corner against Saints' rivals Portsmouth,^[1] but this was subsequently listed as an own goal by defender Sebastien Schemmel.^[2]

He was due to retire at the end of the 2004–05 season, during which he spent time on loan at Plymouth Argyle; however, after his contract expired with Southampton he left to join Brighton & Hove Albion. He made only seven appearances for Brighton during his year at the club due to injury.

In July 2006 he joined Conference South team Eastleigh on a free transfer, to play alongside former Southampton colleague, Francis Benali. A recurrence of his ankle injury prevented him playing after the first three games of the 2006–07 season, and he retired from playing in November 2006 and was appointed head coach of Eastleigh.

[edit] Coaching and managerial career

The following month he replaced Paul Doswell, who had become director of football, as Eastleigh's manager, but resigned in July 2007 to be replaced by David Hughes.^[3]

Dodd returned to Southampton as first team coach under manager George Burley in the summer of 2007, replacing Glynn Snodin. When Burley left in January 2008, Dodd became joint caretaker manager of Southampton, alongside John Gorman. However, on 23 June, Dodd was released by the club.

On 14 October 2009 he became the caretaker manager of Aldershot Town along with his former Southampton teammate Paul Williams after the previous manager, Gary Waddock, moved to Wycombe Wanderers.^[4]

On 4 November 2009, Dodd rejoined Southampton as director/chief coach of the club's youth academy to oversee the development of the next generation to come through St Mary's.^[5]

[edit] Honours

Southampton

• 2003 FA Cup runners-up medal (Awarded by club for contributions en route to final)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Jason Dodd career stats at Soccerbase
• BBC stats