Steel broke into the team at full-back three months after signing, and stayed there for the rest of the season missing just one game. He followed this up with an ever-present season in 1932–33 and missed just two games of the next campaign.
He had established himself as the first choice right-back until during the 1934–35 season he lost the position to Robert Done. Done lasted for only one match, but instead of being replaced by Steel it was Tom Cooper who slotted in to the position.
Steel was allowed to leave during March 1935 when he joined Birmingham. He subsequently went on to play for Derby County before ending his career, with a guest spell at Dumbarton during World War II.[5]
^John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
^Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 248. ISBN978-1-899468-67-6.