After starting his professional career in his home city with Celtic, he moved to England in 1946 where he played for Grimsby Town and Southampton.
[3] Whilst training as a coachbuilder,[2] he played part-time for Junior club Armadale Thistle, before joining Celtic in 1944.
[2] He moved to England in the summer of 1946 to join Grimsby Town, then in the First Division, for whom he made 34 league appearances playing generally as a half-back, scoring four goals.
[4] He joined Southampton in March 1950 for a fee of £8,000 and made his debut for The Saints at home to Cardiff City when he scored in a 3–1 victory.
[2] After their victory over Manchester United, Steele, together with Peter Osgood and goalscorer Bobby Stokes, brought the cup to the Drummond Arms, before taking it on a "tour" of hostelries in the town centre.