Express & Star chief sports writer Matt Maher pays tribute to Steve Hopcroft, who died this week aged 59.
Steve Hopcroft might not have been a familiar face or name for many Midlands football supporters.
Yet the scale of his impact in this region over the last quarter of a century cannot be downplayed. It has been felt - and will continue to be felt, both here and beyond for years to come.
Right now it is being felt over in the USA, where Morgan Rogers took time this week to pay tribute to the man who played an integral role in taking him to Albion at age of seven.
“I would not be in the position I am now without you,” wrote Rogers, alongside a picture of his younger self and Hopcroft.
“This one hurts. Sending love and condolences to your family.”
Similar sentiments were shared by other players who know how much they owe Hopcroft, after news of his death at the far-too-young age of 59 emerged on Monday.
The bulk of those began their careers at Albion, where he was head of junior development between 2004 and 2020. Prior to then he worked at Blues while, most recently, he was head of player talent ID at Villa, hired at a time when the club’s owners were determined to recruit the best people to recharge their academy.
In Hopcroft, they knew they were getting one of the finest talent-spotters in the country but also someone deeply rooted in the region, who understood the importance of the human side of what is often a brutal business.
Few interviewees have provided such an education as Hopcroft when he sat down with myself and a few colleagues at Albion’s training ground a decade ago, shortly after having spurned advances to join Manchester United.
Over the course of around 90 minutes he explained his philosophy and the process which in the space of 12 years had seen the Baggies academy transformed from something of a laughing stock to, at that point, one of the best in the country.
His enthusiasm was infectious. Even more so was his modesty. A former market trader and police officer, he had never imagined working full-time in football before a bit of scouting on the side for Blues opened the door.
"Football is all about players but there is a whole industry behind it and we are so lucky to follow in their wake,” he said. “I am lucky enough to be one of those little ripples."
There will be nothing small about Hopcroft’s legacy. He will be greatly missed.
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