[2] Charles attended Columbia University in the United States where he was the 1979 Ivy League MVP and a 1979 First Team All American.
[3][4][5] an English former schoolboy international, Sheffield-born Steve Charles began his football career at Sheffield United while still a university student.
In November 1984, he moved to Wrexham where he spent two and a half years and lifted the Welsh Cup in 1986.
In the summer of 1987, Charles moved to Mansfield Town for a £15,000 transfer fee, making his debut on 15 August 1987 against Bristol City.
[7] He left to join Scarborough in February 1993, and also had a short loan spell at Scunthorpe United near the end of his time in Mansfield.