Tag: Steve Evans

Melton took Micky at his word – and saw red 

MIDFIELDER Steve Melton took manager Micky Adams at his word in a notorious pre-season friendly – and ended up being sent off after putting in a waist-high tackle on an opponent.

Adams subbed off a riled Richard Carpenter against Longford Town in July 2001 with instructions to former Nottingham Forest trainee Melton “to give the lad who was booting our players up in the air a taste of his own medicine. Make sure he knows you are around.”

Melton duly put in a flying lunge on Longford midfielder Alan Reynolds that saw him receive an automatic red card and the fall-out from the challenge sparked an almighty punch-up which ended up with Albion’s Charlie Oatway and opponent Alan Murphy also being sent off after an altercation.

That particular battle then led to an even bigger scrap involving coaches and even the Longford chairman who took a punch in the face from one of his own players!

The so-called pre-season “friendly” – later dubbed the Battle of Longford – was abandoned with only 44 minutes on the clock by inexperienced ref Dermot Tone, who had only stepped in to officiate because senior Irish referees were at a seminar.

For Melton, it was all a far cry from making your Premier League debut two years earlier in front of 25,353 fans at the City Ground, Nottingham, in Ron Atkinson’s last-ever game as a manager. Melton was pitched in for already-relegated Forest for an East Midlands derby against Leicester and they went down in style (Blackburn and Charlton also went down), scraping a 1-0 win against the Foxes.

Born in Lincoln on 3 October 1978, Melton first linked up with Forest when he was just 11, playing at the centre of excellence. He signed full time at 16, a matter of days after finishing his GCSEs. He progressed through the youth team and reserves and it was during that time that he first worked with Adams, who’d been assistant manager to Dave Bassett before Atkinson’s arrival. 

Before he got close to the Forest first team, 18-year-old Melton and another trainee had experienced competitive football in Finland where Bassett had sent them to play for Sami Hyypiä’s old club MyPa on a three-month loan.

“He sent us out there to toughen us up. It also got us used to playing in a proper men’s league so that we learnt to value the prize of the three points and the standing within the first team,” he explained in a matchday programme interview.

That experience followed by his Forest first team debut didn’t have the outcome he wanted and after only three games under Atkinson’s successor, David Platt, he picked up an injury and couldn’t force his way back into the first team picture.

In February 2000, he switched 50 miles west to third tier Stoke City and admitted: “It seemed a good move as I didn’t have to travel too far. 

“It was a chance for me to play for a decent-sized club that were going strong in the cup and in the league. It was either that or play reserve team games for the rest of the year at Forest and wait for a break that I didn’t think was going to come.”

As it turned out, it was mainly a watching role, making only seven appearances as a substitute. He was a non-playing bench warmer alongside Chris Iwelumo (who did get on) when City won the Football League (Auto Windscreens Shield) Trophy at Wembley, beating Bristol City 2-1.

Stoke’s new Icelandic consortium hinted that they wanted to keep him on but in the absence of a contract offer, rather than risk uncertainty, he took up Adams’ offer to join fourth-tier Albion. 

A complimentary caption in the club match day programme

On a trial in the Emerald Isle the year before the Longford incident, Melton did enough across the week of the tour to earn a one-year contract. He had a long wait before getting a start but after 11 introductions as a substitute he finally made his full debut in February 2001, stepping in for Carpenter at Torquay after the regular midfield starter pulled out with an injured ankle. 

After playing his part in Albion’s first win (1-0 courtesy of Bobby Zamora) at Torquay for 36 years, Melton told The Argus: “I’m enjoying it here. I’ve settled in with the lads and I share a house with some of them.” 

On playing for Adams, he said: “I think Micky is going to be a really good manager. I enjoy working with him. A lot of the lads do. 

“Hopefully he will take Brighton up. He’s had a taste of managing at a higher level at Forest and I think he has the potential to do it again.” 

Melton’s outlook brightened the following month and he got starts in nine of the season’s remaining 15 matches as Adams led the Seagulls to promotion as champions. 

At home to his future employer Hull City, Melton made his home debut and scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win (Paul Watson and substitute Phil Stant also scored).

Reflecting on his involvement, he said: “It’s difficult to break in when the team keep winning every week, and they go unbeaten for 12 or 13 games, maybe drop a point but then go off on another run.

“It’s frustrating because you’re not playing, but you can’t really have too much of a case when the team is sat at the top of the league.”

Come the end of the season, he had done enough to be offered a two-year extension to his contract. As it turned out, the 2001-02 season followed much the same pattern as his first in terms of more appearances off the bench than starts.

He was on the scoresheet twice in the LDV Vans Trophy, scoring an extra time golden goal in a 2-1 home win over Wycombe Wanderers but was then inadvertently the fall guy in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat at Cambridge United.

Having given Albion a 36th-minute lead, latching on to Dirk Lehmann’s lay-off to fire a low right-footer past Lionel Perez from just outside the penalty area, he lost possession to Dave Kitson, who ran away to equalise, and then, four minutes into extra time, a shot by Armand One that was going wide took a wicked deflection off Melton’s shoulder to send United through to the next round.

A happier outing came when he made a rare start and scored as promotion-chasing Albion beat table-toppers Reading at the Withdean in February 2002. Peter Taylor’s Seagulls triumphed 3-1 on a rain-lashed night under the lights (Zamora and Junior Lewis also scored).

Goalscorers Melton and Zamora after a memorable win over Reading

“It was pleasing to start,” Melton told The Argus. “You have got to be patient and I have waited a good few months. 

“I have been on the outside for the last few weeks. Hopefully I can stay on the inside now. 

“Playing against the League leaders is a different matter completely from the LDV appearances that I made earlier in the season. 

“You can only do as well as you can when you are chosen to play and hopefully I did that. Once you have been given the shirt you have to try and keep it.” 

Melton’s goal was only the second league goal of his career and his first for 11 months. 

Taylor reckoned it was the best home performance since he took over from Adams the previous autumn and Albion won eight (and drew five) of the following 14 games to go on and clinch the third-tier title with the also-promoted Royals six points behind.

Melton scored Albion’s first goal of the 2002-03 season when he started in the 3-1 win at Burnley under his third Brighton manager, Martin Hinshelwood (Zamora and Paul Brooker also scored; Hinshelwood’s 18-year-old nephew Adam made his debut). 

Unfortunately, Melton tweaked a hamstring in the process and had to be subbed off. He only made nine more appearances (six starts plus three off the bench) as Hinshelwood’s short reign in charge ended with 10 league defeats in a row.

Incoming boss Steve Coppell brought in the likes of free agent Simon Rodger and Arsenal loanee Steve Sidwell and Melton found himself surplus to requirements.

It was in October 2002 that he moved to Hull on loan shortly after Peter Taylor had replaced Jan Molby as manager with the club about to move out of Boothferry Park and into the Kingston Communications Stadium.

Tiger Melton

Melton made 19 starts plus six appearances off the bench as the Tigers finished 13th in the old Third Division.

According to the website oncloudseven.com: “Despite his promise and Taylor’s persistence, Melton’s career at City was not a success and he showed only brief flashes of good form. Melton is, however, forever enshrined in the City record books because in December 2002 he scored the first ever goal at the KC Stadium against Sunderland, for the honour of lifting the Raich Carter Trophy.”

He found himself only on the fringes the following season and he had moved on to Boston United under Steve Evans by the time Taylor steered Hull to promotion as divisional runners up.

A recurring back injury restricted his playing time at Boston and during 2005-06 he was sent out on loan to Conference National side Tamworth. On his release from Boston in the summer of 2006, he switched to Southern League Premier King’s Lynn FC for two seasons.

Melton at Boston

In September 2008, he rejoined Boston with manager Tommy Taylor telling the club’s website: “Steve has great quality on the ball and that’s what we have been missing in the midfield area. 

Hopefully he will add another dimension to our team.”

But he was released at the end of the season and joined Lincoln United of the Northern Premier League Division One East, alongside his former Boston and King’s Lynn teammate Matt O’Halloran. After spells with Lincoln Moorlands Railway, Grantham Town and Worksop Town, he wound up his playing days back at Lincoln United.

In the meantime, his first job outside of football was in sales for mobile comms company Vodacom. He spent nearly seven years with the now defunct energy advice and installation company the Mark Group and since 2019 has worked for building services certification business The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, where he is now commercial and compliance director.

‘Hendo’ earned Seagulls stripes before becoming Hornets’ hero

WATFORD play-off final goalscorer Darius Henderson was the perfect foil for pint-sized Leon Knight at the beginning of Albion’s 2003-04 season.

Steve Coppell borrowed the 6’4” striker from his old pal Alan Pardew at Reading giving him game time that was eluding him at the Madejski Stadium.

There was plenty of competition for places in Reading’s forward line at the time with Nicky Forster, Shaun Goater and Nathan Tyson ahead of him.

It had led to another forward, Martin Butler, being sold to Rotherham and because Pardew generally picked a lone frontman, Henderson found himself on the fringes.

“The solitary striker system, and the superb form of Nicky Forster, meant the vast majority of his appearances came as a substitute,” the Albion matchday programme noted.

Young Henderson at Reading

In fact, he’d started only five league matches for Reading after turning professional in August 1999; but he had appeared 65 times as a substitute!

Given the chance of a start with the Seagulls, he got off to a flyer with the opening goal of the season from the penalty spot in a 3-1 win at Oldham, as well as netting the opener in a 2-0 home win over Luton Town.

Henderson, who celebrated his 22nd birthday while with the Seagulls, was adept at setting up chances for Knight too, outjumping QPR’s defence to set up Knight to score the winner as Albion won 2-1 at the Withdean and following it up at Plymouth where a strong run and cross teed up Knight for Albion’s third in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

It was good news when Pardew agreed to the loan being extended by another month, Coppell admitting: “It’s as good as it gets as far as I am concerned.

“Darius has given us a physical presence we didn’t have before and with him in the side I didn’t feel as exposed as we were defending set pieces.”

Unfortunately, Coppell couldn’t resist the lure of the Madejski Stadium when Pardew was poached to manage West Ham, and Henderson returned to Berkshire after 10 matches.

Born in Sutton, Surrey, on 7 September 1981, Henderson was brought up in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, and, after being rejected by Leeds, it was Rovers who gave him his first steps towards a professional career.

However, he joined Reading’s academy in 1999 and was one of three of that squad – along with Tyson and Alex Haddow – to make it through to the first team.

Although Coppell gave him game time at Brighton, the manager faced the same striker surplus issues as Pardew once he arrived at Reading, and he therefore sanctioned Henderson’s departure in January 2004. He’d made only 12 starts for the Royals but 71 appearances as a sub.

He was signed by Andy Hessenthaler’s Gillingham, telling the club’s official website: “I have had a good chat with the chairman and the gaffer and as far as I’m concerned I’m over the moon and am looking forward to playing now and getting to know my new team-mates.

“There was limited first-team options for me at Reading which was made clear by Steve Coppell. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to get away.”

He scored 10 goals in one and a half seasons with the Gills, as well as enjoying a prolific loan spell at Swindon Town, where he scored five times in six games.

The day before the 2005-06 season got underway, a £450,000 fee took him to Watford where he enjoyed the best three years of his career.

He became something of a fans’ favourite, with Matt Reveley, of footballfancast.com, explaining: “Darius is a player that often epitomises Watford’s footballing ethic (for) the 110 per cent effort and workrate that Watford fans like to see from their players.”

Manager Aidy Boothroyd paired him with Marlon King and Henderson’s 14 goals in 27 matches contributed towards Watford winning promotion to the Premier League.

Henderson scores against Leeds in the play-off final

It couldn’t have been sweeter when he scored a late penalty to round off Watford’s 3-0 win over Leeds in the 2006 play-off final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

As Henderson told watfordlegends.com: “Leeds released me when I was 16, and ever since that very day they released me I have always had the drive to go on and prove them wrong, so it was a great feeling to prove my point to them.

“The whole day though was memorable, just a terrific day all round and to score as well topped it off perfectly. I was mentally exhausted after the game though. It was incredibly draining and very emotional.”

The win sent the Hornets up with Henderson’s former club Reading and future employer Sheffield United.

Goals were far harder to come by amongst the elite and he managed only three as Watford went back down to the Championship.

He had scored 31 times in 117 appearances for the Hornets before being sold to the Blades for £2m in July 2008.

Before that, the striker could have joined Preston North End after a £1.3m fee was agreed between the clubs, but he decided to stay at Vicarage Road and fight for his place.

When Kevin Blackwell ‘sold’ United to him, though, he was persuaded. “Sheffield United is a massive club and it was a great opportunity for me so I went for it,” he told watfordlegends.com.

Henderson once again got amongst the goals, netting 21 for United, including one in April 2011 in a surprise 3-2 win over his old club Reading. It wasn’t enough to prevent relegation under Micky Adams, though, and Henderson moved to Millwall to take over the main striker role from Steve Morison, who had switched to Norwich City.

Goals galore for the Lions

Henderson’s goals continued to flow and he registered three hat-tricks and a brace in his first Championship season with the Lions. In total, he scored 26 times in 56 matches for them, including his 100th professional goal.

Wage bill trimming in January 2013 saw him move to fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest where his teammates included Dan Harding, Greg Halford and Gonzalo Jara Reyes. Unfortunately, he was more often a substitute than a starter for Billy Davies’ side.

Forest forward

In the summer of 2014, former Albion boss Russell Slade picked him up on a free transfer for third-tier Leyton Orient on a three-year deal, although Slade left the club in September.

Henderson was also on the move again after only one season in East London, heading back up north with Scunthorpe United. But after failing to register a goal in 16 matches, he moved to Tony Mowbray’s Coventry City (above) in February 2016 on a short-term deal, once again failing to get on the scoresheet in five substitute appearances.

He joined his last league club in August 2016, linking up with League Two Mansfield Town, where he scored once in 13 matches before manager Steve Evans released him. He dropped out of the league and moved to Eastleigh Town. But he played only two games for the National League side and retired from playing in April 2017.

According to Everything Orient, Henderson now works as a consultant for AFC Bournemouth.

Bearing in mind the number of clubs he played for, it’s not really surprising @DHenderson7 has 13,500 followers on Twitter.

Binned off by Baggies, Mattock welcomed Seagulls chance

FOR A FEW seasons, it seemed Brighton’s left back spot would always be occupied by a player on loan.

In the second half of the 2011-12 season, it was Joe Mattock who slotted in there, having been edged out by a change of management at West Bromwich Albion.

“I am delighted to come and play where I am wanted and for a manager who feels I can do a job for him,” Mattock declared in a matchday programme.

Mattock made his debut as a substitute in Brighton’s 4 February 1-0 home win over his former club, Leicester City, and he subsequently made 14 starts after Gus Poyet borrowed him from the Baggies.

Mattock’s signing was largely to cover a long term hamstring injury to Marcos Painter after Romain Vincelot and Gus Poyet’s assistant, Mauricio Taricco, had been temporary stand-ins.

Mattock made his debut in Albion’s 2-1 win away to Leeds United on 11 February with fellow West Brom loanee Gonzalo Jara Reyes occupying the right-back spot.

Unfortunately, Albion only registered three more wins through to the end of the season, so it wasn’t a particularly successful period.

Mattock was on the scoresheet once, netting Albion’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat away to Blackpool, and the side finished 10th in the Championship.

Mattock was given a free transfer by the Baggies at the end of the season and, while Poyet viewed signing him permanently as an option, the defender went instead to Sheffield Wednesday, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal.

It would be something of an understatement to say he wasn’t missed, bearing in mind the next loanee left back through the door was Wayne Bridge!

Born in Leicester on 15 May 1990, Mattock was a successful graduate of his hometown club’s academy system, initially as a forward, then as a midfield player before settling as a left-back from the age of 16. He was named Leicester’s academy player of the year in 2006-07.

Leicester caretaker boss Nigel Worthington gave him his first team debut as a substitute in his first game in charge, a 2-1 Championship defeat to Norwich City.

He was chosen at left-back for three more matches at the end of that season, a 2-1 defeat at home to Birmingham and 1-0 wins away to Preston and Barnsley.

Current day BBC pundit Dion Dublin was something of a guiding light to him as he was progressing. “He was a good bloke who spoke to all the young players,” Mattock told the matchday programme. “He was playing centre-back at the time, so taught me a few things about how to defend and how to be a professional footballer.”

While the 2007-08 season saw a veritable merry-go-round of managers as the side eventually lost their Championship status, Mattock’s performances attracted attention and it was said West Ham and Aston Villa had bids to buy him rejected.

After gaining England under 17 and under 19 caps, Mattock went on to win five England under 21 caps, making his debut in a 2-0 home win over Bulgaria in November 2007 alongside the likes of Joe Hart, James Milner and Theo Walcott.

He also played in a 1-1 draw away to Portugal, a 3-0 win over Republic of Ireland, he went on as a sub in a 0-0 draw at home to Poland and his last international action saw him start in the 3-2 defeat away to Ecuador in February 2009.

Although he was selected for the squad, Kieran Gibbs and Ryan Bertrand subsequently got the nod ahead of him.

In August 2009, unsettled Mattock finally got to follow former teammate Richard Stearman away from the Foxes when West Brom, newly relegated from the Premiership, paid a £1m fee to take him to The Hawthorns.

The manner of his exit didn’t go down well with Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, who said: “I like to deal with people straight up. I don’t like it when the player rings the chairman when we are playing a pre-season game to ask to leave when he is out of the country on international duty.

“That gives you a taste of the situation and we’ll wait and see what happens.”

Mattock made 29 starts plus five substitute appearances in Roberto di Matteo’s side as the Baggies were promoted back to the Premier League in runners up spot.

But he didn’t feature in West Brom’s elite side and instead was sent out on loan to Sheffield United where he met up with another loanee from the Black Country, Sam Vokes, who was later on loan with him at the Albion.

Di Matteo’s eventual successor, Roy Hodgson, didn’t fancy the defender either and, before he moved to Brighton, he spent time on loan at Portsmouth who were managed by his former West Brom coach, Michael Appleton.

After choosing to join Wednesday, Mattock barely got a look-in during his first season, when Dave Jones was Owls boss, and supporters were convinced he would be shipped out.

But he was selected for around half of the 2013-14 season’s fixtures under Stuart Gray, and played in 25 games, plus three as a sub, the following season.

“I didn’t have a great start at Wednesday,” Mattock told the Rotherham Advertiser. “I didn’t get on with the manager.

“Then Stuart Gray came in and played me all the time. I was told they thought they were going to offer me a new deal, but I got injured six weeks before the end of my third year and it didn’t happen.”

In the summer of 2015, he was one of 11 Owls players released and the left-back made the short South Yorkshire journey to Rotherham United.

Being settled in the area, he was keen not to have to up sticks and he was persuaded to join by then boss Steve Evans.

Evans was soon on his way from the AESSEAL New York Stadium but Mattock remained and has subsequently played under Neil Warnock, Alan Stubbs, Kenny Jackett and Paul Warne.

He is now in his seventh season with the Millers and has played more than 200 games for them in the Championship and League One.

“I was promoted from League One with Leicester when I was 19. The year after, I was promoted to the Premier League with West Brom,” he told the Rotherham Advertiser.

“When you’re young you don’t realise how much it should mean to you. You do when you’re older, so when we went to Wembley last season (2017-18) and won in the play-off final (they beat Shrewsbury Town 2-1), in front of all the family, in front of all the fans, it was a perfect day, one of the big highlights of my entire career.”

Liam Bridcutt was the Real deal for Poyet’s Brighton

LIAM BRIDCUTT won back-to-back Player of the Season awards at Brighton and later went on to captain Leeds United.

The diminutive midfielder was a stand-out defensive midfielder who Seagulls supporters took to their hearts.

He was pivotal to the new style of play Gus Poyet introduced, sitting in front of the back four, and comfortably acting as the conduit for the side’s highly effective passing game.

Having been brought through as a youngster at Stamford Bridge, he had witnessed close up the role Claude Makelele executed so efficiently for Chelsea, and, when his former Stamford Bridge colleague Poyet gave him an initial five-month contract at Brighton, he seized the chance.

“Chelsea made me the player I am today and they gave me the best of everything in terms of facilities and training with some of the biggest names in football,” he said shortly after signing for the Albion.

“My favourite player was Dennis Wise. I always wanted to be like him in that central midfield role. Then, as I got older, the team changed and it was Makele who I watched. Chelsea wanted more of a Makele player out of me.”

With so many star names ahead of him, it was inevitable Bridcutt would have to look elsewhere to progress. Initially he went on loan to Watford, managed by Brendan Rodgers, who he’d played under for Chelsea’s youth side and reserves.

“I played in some really big games, jumping from reserve football – full of kids and not that physical – into games where players are literally fighting for their careers,” he said.

“My first game was against Doncaster, where I was named Man of the Match, and then it was Spurs in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup. I was up against Jermaine Jenas and Jamie O’Hara. I loved the adrenalin and pushing myself against all these players.”

It meant he didn’t fancy returning to reserve football and went out on loan again, playing more than 20 games for Stockport County in League One – including being sent off playing against the Seagulls! “It was another good learning curve for me,” he said.

When released by Chelsea, he had trials at Crystal Palace, Wycombe Wanderers and Dagenham and Redbridge – without success – but Chelsea let him return to train with them for three weeks and, during that time, Ray Wilkins suggested him to Poyet, who gave him an initial five-month contract to show what he could do.

After his debut against Orient, he told the matchday programme: “The manager has been saying to me that he needs a player in there who can control the game, break things up and play. I aim to prove I am that player.”

Mission accomplished, Bridcutt earned a two-year deal and he told the Argus: “It was one of my goals when I first signed here, to get a longer deal, and I’ve done that.

“I have been rewarded for my hard work. All I’ve got to do now is settle down and think about my future and look forward to next season.

“There was no hesitation from me really. I want to be here as long as I can. I can see what Gus has done here is brilliant. It’s a big club on the way up, so I was more than happy to sign.”

Bridcutt helped Albion win League One and is particularly remembered for a stunning long-range volley at Withdean on 5 March 2011 that proved to be the winner in a 4-3 win over Carlisle United. He was also on the scoresheet when Albion twice came from behind against Dagenham and Redbridge and eventually won another 4-3 thriller to clinch promotion back to the second tier.

Comfortably taking the step up in class in his stride, Bridcutt was pivotal to Albion reaching the Championship play-offs, but, after Poyet’s departure, rumours began to swirl that the young midfielder would follow him to the north east.

It didn’t happen immediately but, after handing in a transfer request, he finally made the move in January 2014 after featuring in 151 games for the Seagulls.

Given the opportunity to reflect on that time, Bridcutt admitted to the excellent podcast Football, the Albion and Me that he should never have left but, at the time, he didn’t feel the Albion did enough to persuade him to stay when Premier League and Championship clubs were sniffing around.

“Because they had so many good offers, they didn’t try to keep me,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave the club. I was very much happy there. But at the time I had other offers. The club knew about this and were back and forth with other clubs and turned down lots of offers.

“All I wanted was to be rewarded for the time I had given to the club,” he said, maintaining that, regardless of Poyet going, he wanted to part of the club’s long term goal of getting to the Premier League.

Scotland cap

In March 2013, Bridcutt’s consistent Albion form earned him a call-up to the Scotland international squad. Newly appointed manager Gordon Strachan gave him his first cap against Serbia, although the 2-0 defeat ended the Scots’ hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, and Bridcutt collected a booking in the 77th minute.

It wasn’t until three years later, during his spell at Leeds, that Bridcutt earned his second and only other cap. It came when he was a second half substitute in a 1-0 win over Denmark and some observers considered Bridcutt lucky not to see red for a robust tackle in the game at Hampden Park.

Although born in Reading, on 8 May 1989, he qualified to play for Scotland through his Edinburgh-born grandfather.

In July 2021, Bridcutt gave an illuminating and excoriating insight into his move and time on Wearside to a Sunderland podcast.

He recalled how on the day he signed for the club Poyet called him at midnight informing him he’d be playing the next day in the Tyne-Wear derby game and, before putting the phone down, said: “You better not be shit because I’ve pushed hard to get you here!”

Thankfully, Bridcutt had an outstanding debut in place of the injured Lee Cattermole in a 3-0 win for the Black Cats over their arch rivals.

Poyet purred: “Liam Bridcutt knows the defensive midfielder role I want us to play perfectly. So I was not worried.

If there’s one person that knows the role better than anyone else in the world, it is Liam and the best thing for him is that we won, we kept a clean sheet and he got through 90 minutes having not played all month.”

Poyet was rarely shy in singing Bridcutt’s praises, once telling the Mail: “If I was coach of Real (Madrid) I would take him because he deserves to go to the highest level.

“As a holding midfielder, there is no better player in the division. The best thing about Liam is that he understands me to an incredible level. The way he understands what I want from him is spectacular.”

However, Bridcutt reckoned a lot of players Poyet inherited at Sunderland were scared to play the sort of football Albion’s players had readily embraced and he also questioned their professionalism, saying: “It was almost like he (Poyet) was fighting a losing battle because there was literally lads out every other night and you could see that in our performances. We were terrible.”

Supporters piled on the pressure too and, although Bridcutt reckoned he could cope with the barbs, someone like Marcos Alonso responded badly to the stick but proved he was a decent player after he moved to Chelsea.

After keeping Sunderland in the Premier League against the odds, Poyet signed a new two-year contract in May 2014 but was sacked the following March. His successor, Dick Advocaat, froze Bridcutt out and, eventually, in November 2015, Steve Evans took him on loan at Leeds United.

In the early part of 2016, ahead of playing against Brighton at the Amex, Bridcutt confessed he’d be open to a return to the south coast. He told the Argus: “It was probably my best period in football. That was my opportunity to properly showcase what I could do and I had brilliant times there.

“I know the place well and I’d call it home. My first child was born there and it’s where my family started. It’s where my career really started and it’s a club where, if there was the right opportunity to go back at some stage, I definitely would.

“Even when I first joined, the club always had direction. There was always a plan. Nothing happened by accident. They hit a bit of a rocky patch after losing Gus (Poyet) but, like most clubs, it happens. They seem to have got their stability back. I’m happy to see that.”

As it was, Bridcutt stayed at Elland Road until the end of the season and, after Garry Monk’s appointment as manager, he was signed on a permanent basis in August 2016. A month later he was appointed Leeds captain, taking over the role from Sol Bamba.

A delighted Bridcutt said: “It’s a real honour, the manager has shown great faith in me by giving me the captaincy.

“It puts a little bit more pressure on me but that’s something I like. I’ve always been a player that’s thrived under pressure, and I think that’s the way to get the best out of me.”

Unfortunately a broken foot saw Bridcutt miss a large part of the season and the managerial revolving door at Leeds saw Monk replaced in the summer of 2017 by Thomas Christiansen.

After 53 games for United, Bridcutt also found himself heading for the exit, joining Mark Warburton’s Nottingham Forest on a three-year deal for a fee thought to be around £1m.

Former Forest favourite Garry Birtles was suitably impressed by the new signing, telling the Nottingham Post: “He’s 28 so you’d think he will hit his peak for Forest, having signed a three-year deal.

“He was Leeds United’s captain last season as they finished in seventh place in the Championship. I saw him play for Leeds and, I have to say, he was very impressive. He’s got that creative ability, and his all-round game was good.”

While Bridcutt played plenty of games under Warburton, when another managerial change saw the arrival of Aitor Karanka, his game time dried up.

Bridcutt spent the first part of the 2019-20 season on loan at League One Bolton Wanderers, where he was made captain by boss Keith Hill, and was reunited with former Albion and Sunderland teammate Will Buckley.

But after his recall to Forest in January 2020 he was then dispatched on loan to Lincoln City for the remainder of the season.

It wasn’t long before Bridcutt was captaining the Imps and in August 2020 he joined them on a permanent basis after his Forest contract expired.

Injury sidelined Bridcutt from Colin Appleton’s side as Lincoln beat Sunderland over a two-legged League One play-off semi-final in May 2021 but Bridcutt skippered the Imps as they narrowly lost 2-1 to Blackpool in the final at Wembley.

Ahead of the Sunderland clash, Lincoln fan Gary Hutchinson, of The Stacey West Lincoln fan website, told SB Nation Roker Report: “I love Bridcutt. He is the pivot around which our entire side function. Playing in the four role he picks the ball deep, protects the back four and is always willing to add to an attack. There are options in the middle of the park – Jorge Grant usually deputises there and Max Sanders who recently signed from Brighton is the long-term heir-apparent for Bridcutt.”

Released by Lincoln at the end of the 2021-22 season, Bridcutt, aged 33, was eventually reunited with Appleton at Blackpool; his signing on a one-year contract for the Championship side announced on 30 September 2022.

“I’m excited to be here and working with the manager again,” Bridcutt told the Blackpool website. “He was brilliant for me over the last two years – he put a lot of trust and faith in me.

“We’ve got a good understanding in terms of what he wants from his teams and his players day-to-day. I get that and it’s how I work and how I’ve always worked. He knows what I’m like and what he can get out of me.”

Appleton added: “We know the quality and the experience he’s got – at Premier League and Championship level – and he’s a fantastic character who will also bring a lot of things off the pitch as well. His addition will be a real plus.”

Halford’s timely role in helping Albion avoid the drop

TIME was of the essence when utility player Greg Halford agreed to make a temporary move to Brighton.

He penned a deal to join the Seagulls temporarily at Nottingham Forest’s training ground at 12.30pm and then got in his car to drive to Brighton for 6pm in time to be involved in the squad for that evening’s game at the Amex against Wigan Athletic.

It was 4 November 2014 and he was Sami Hyypia’s sixth loan signing – even though only five were eligible to play in any matchday squad (emergency loan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi only played one game).

Regular centre backs Gordon Greer and Lewis Dunk were perilously close to suspension and deputy Aaron Hughes was sidelined with an ankle injury, so Hyypia moved to bring in an experienced back-up.

Albion hadn’t registered a win in the previous 11 league matches but the 29-year-old Halford proved to be a lucky charm as the side finally reacquainted themselves with the taste of victory. Fellow loanee Gary Gardner got the only goal of the game and Halford made an appearance off the bench towards the end of the game.

“I wasn’t really expecting to get any game time. I thought I’d just be in and around the lads, to get a feel for how everything works,” he told the club programme. “But I’m glad I got a few minutes at the end.”

Halford explained how he’d agreed to join the Seagulls because he’d been frozen out at Forest after Stuart Pearce took over as manager.

The player said he was familiar with the south coast having previously played for Portsmouth.

Asked what he could bring to the side, he added: “I can add a bit of height, I can score goals and obviously I can defend, which is my main attribute. I’m here to help the team and manager in any way I can.”

It wasn’t long before he was helping out a different manager as the side’s run of poor form brought a premature end to Hyypia’s brief time in charge.

Halford, though, hung around at the Amex, his loan extended by Hyypia’s successor, Chris Hughton, and he had made 14 starts and five substitute appearances by the season’s end, when the Seagulls narrowly escaped the drop back to the third tier.

Born on 8 December 1984 in Chelmsford, Essex, Halford began his professional career at nearby Colchester United. I well remember a Chelmsford-based work colleague telling me about this talented young footballer who’d been head and shoulders the best player in a local schoolboy football team his son had played for.

That player was Halford, who progressed from Colchester’s youth team and made his first team debut in April 2003. Loan spells at non-league Aylesbury Town and Braintree Town were part of his development, but he eventually made his mark at Colchester and was named in the PFA League One team of the year in 2005-06.

Played mainly at right-back, Halford’s speciality was his ability to deliver searching long throws which led to a good proportion of goals for Colchester.

After playing more than 150 games in five years for the Us, Halford wanted to prove himself at the highest level. He got a move to Premier League Reading in January 2007 but he couldn’t make the breakthrough there and ended up switching to Sunderland, signed by Roy Keane.

Just six months later, Sunderland made him available on loan and he joined Championship side Charlton until the end of the season. Then he spent the whole of the 2008-09 season on loan to Sheffield United, featuring in 49 of their 56 games that season.

His personal highlight was scoring the only goal of the game as United beat Preston to reach the 2008-09 play-off final.

Unfortunately, United lost the final 1-0 to Burnley, and that summer Halford was on the move again, this time to newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers. Although he featured in 20 games, a regular starting berth eluded him and, in October 2010, he joined Championship side Portsmouth. Initially on loan, he eventually joined Pompey on a permanent basis but relegation to the third tier brought with it the need to trim budgets and in July 2012, they offloaded Halford to Nottingham Forest.

GH ForestUnder Billy Davies, Halford was generally deployed as a striker but when Pearce took over at the City Ground, he didn’t get close to the first team. On his return from Brighton at the end of the 2014-15 season, he was released by Forest and joined Rotherham United on a free transfer.

Manager Steve Evans appointed him captain but, after a winless run of five games, he was deposed and only played one more game for the Millers before joining Birmingham City on loan.

GH CardThat spell was also brief and although he returned to Rotherham and played 15 games for them in the 2016-17 season, he then joined Cardiff City and made 33 appearances in two seasons for Neil Warnock’s side.

Without a club for six months, in February 2019, he joined Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen as defensive cover but only made two appearances.