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Basham is, and always has been, a player of great potential. He signed pro terms at Southampton, his home town club, at the age of 18, scoring regularly in the Saints' youth and reserve teams. He finally broke into the first team squad at The Dell at the start of last season, scoring his first goal in the 2-0 win at Blackburn in November 1998, a result that heralded the end of Roy Hodgson's reign as Rovers' boss. It was to prove his last goal for Southampton.
North End manager David Moyes had been chasing Steve for some time, when he finally got his man on loan in February 1999. He hit goalscoring form at Deepdale almost immediately, notching twice in his first start as Wycombe were beaten 2-1. A week later, at Reading, he scored a peach of a goal, a volley on the turn from the edge of the area, as North End lost 2-1. Moyes tried on several occasions throughout Basham's three month loan spell to secure a permanent deal for the striker, but a combination of Steve's own reluctance to leave the town where he was born and bred, and Southampton's asking price of £750,000 meant despite becoming a hero of the Deepdale crowd, he returned to The Dell before our ultimately unsuccessful play-off campaign. Maybe had he stayed, we would have been celebrating promotion.
On 15th June 1999, Basham made a shock return to Deepdale, signing a three year deal. After his 10 goals in 15 starts last season, we are excepting a repeat of this form and much more in a revamped North End side in 1999/00.
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