Michael John Bodley (born 14 September 1967) is an English former professional footballer who made 258 appearances in the Football League playing for Chelsea, Northampton Town, Barnet, Southend United, Gillingham, Birmingham City and Peterborough United. He played as a central defender. Playing career Early career Bodley was born in Hayes, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. He began his football career as an apprentice with Chelsea, and turned professional in 1985. He played eight times for the first team in all competitions before leaving for Northampton Town for a fee of £50,000 in January 1989. He played 20 league games for the club before moving into non-league football with Barnet, who paid £15,000 for his services in October 1989. Barnet, Southend United and loans Bodley contributed to Barnet's Conference title in 1991, and to their run to the third round proper of that year's FA Cup, scoring twice in their 3–1 defeat of Heybridge Swifts in the fourth qualifying round. In the 1992–93 season, Bodley was one of 11 Barnet players awarded free transfers by the Football League because the club had not paid their wages. He joined Southend United in July 1993, linking up with former Barnet manager Barry Fry who had joined the club not long before. In three seasons with Southend he played 79 games in all competitions, and spent two months on loan at Gillingham, whose supporters made a £2,500 donation to the club in an attempt to fund the player's stay for a third month: a fruitless gesture, as the player joined Birmingham City five days later, also on loan, as cover for injuries and suspensions among the defence. Peterborough United, St Albans City and Dagenham & Redbridge In July 1996, Peterborough United manager Barry Fry, who had worked with Bodley at Barnet, Southend and Birmingham, paid his former club £75,000 for his services. Bodley took part in the club's record league win, against his former club Barnet in Division Three in September 1998: Peterborough won 9–1, and Bodley's own goal meant they actually scored all ten. Bodley played more than 100 games in all competitions, and was appointed club captain, before he and teammate Derek Payne were allowed to leave Peterborough on a free transfer for Isthmian League Premier Division club St Albans City, strengthening their squad prior to the FA Trophy semi-final. Bodley played six league games for the club and took part