Why I love Micah Hyde.

Jon Rogers waxes lyrical over a lower-league legend.

Hyde spent 17 years in professional football before moving to non-league.

This evening, my beloved (at least as beloved as a side that has just been hammered 8-1 at Lowestoft can be) Hendon travel to Billericay Town in their latest Ryman League Premier Division match. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend but I am looking forward to the return with such keen anticipation for one reason and one reason alone. Micah Hyde.

Now 36, Hyde signed for ‘Ricay in the summer after being released by Barnet. During a career that was mostly plyed in the second tier of English football, he also made 15 international appearances for Jamaica between 2001 and 2004. Not only that, Hyde holds the distinction of being the best midfielder I’ve ever seen live, thus making him an instant favourite.

A former youth teammate at Brimsdown Rovers of David Beckham, Hyde then actually moved to Hendon’s youth set-up from where he managed to get himself noticed, and then signed by Cambridge United, who at this time were in the old Division One, along with Junior Hunter. Whilst Hunter was back at Hendon in 1995 for a solitary first team appearance, Hyde went on to make 120 first team outings before signing for Watford for £250,000 in July 1997.

It was watching him on my occasional visits with Watford-supporting friends that I first came across Hyde in the flesh. I knew of him at Cambridge through Championship Manager of course, but I didn’t know just what a good player he was. He had everything. He could tackle, he could run with the ball, he could shoot from distance and boy, could he pass. Long or short, it was rare that he gave the ball away. Not only that, but he looked elegant in possession and as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing more beautiful than a player who makes playing football look like art. When he had the ball, it was almost as if time stopped whilst he decided where to pass it. All that was missing when watching him was the Mogwai soundtrack.

"Hyde completely bossed the midfield, content to collect the ball deep and spread it around the pitch. It was almost Hoddle-at-Swindon-esque."

At the end of the 2003/4 season, Hyde was deemed surplus to requirements at Vicarage Road and moved north to Burnley and then two-and-a-half years later, he made the trip to join Darren Ferguson and Darragh McAnthony’s Posh revolution at Peterborough United. This is where our paths crossed again.

By virtue of winning a charity auction, I picked up a couple of complimentary tickets for the end of the 2006/7 season at Peterborough. They cost me £10, Dave and I chose their home game with Hereford United and no sooner had we taken our seats and the Posh had scored. They went on to win 3-0 and Hyde completely bossed the midfield. He was no longer the all action hero, but content to collect the ball deep and spread it around to all areas of the pitch. It was almost Hoddle-at-Swindon-esque. I was exhilarated afterwards and couldn’t stop lauding his performance. He made Posh tick and when they ticked that well they purred.

After a short spell at Woking in 2009, Micah spent last season successfully battling against relegation with Barnet before dropping out of the full time game in the summer and signing for Craig Edwards’ Billericay Town. He is sure to give our short-staffed midfield a good working over tonight, but if even 1% of his class rubs off on Messrs Maclaren (plural), Diedhiou or Busby then it will all have been more than worthwhile. Football needs more midfielders like Micah Hyde.