Michael
Hector’s journey through non-league football to Chelsea’s latest recruit has
been described as ‘romantic’ by one of his former team-mates, who has
likened the defender to Rio Ferdinand.
Hector - who has had loan spells at a number of non-league clubs including
Bracknell Town, Horsham and Oxford City - completed a £4m Deadline Day
switch to Chelsea, and has returned to Reading for the remainder of the
season.
The Jamaica international made his Football League debut during a
season-long loan at Barnet in 2011/12 and former Bees skipper Anwar Uddin
believes other young players can learn from Hector's remarkable rise.
"It's great seeing him play regularly for Reading and moving up to the
highest level of the game with Chelsea but playing on loan at lots of lower
division teams has really aided his development," Uddin told Sky Sports.
"It's important that lower league clubs can help develop and groom these
superstars and play a part in the development of the next generation of
household names.
"Players like Michael Hector will always be synonymous with the clubs he
went on loan to, in the same way everyone associated with Preston is proud
they had a young David Beckham on loan.
"For me that's quite romantic and something that is a good tradition we have
in England, that connection between the lower leagues and the elite level.
"A lot of young players perceive it as failure when a manager pulls you into
his office and says you should go on loan to play regularly in the lower
leagues. But the reality is that the possibilities are endless and this
shows young players that with hard work and determination there is the
possibility that you can slowly make your way to the top," he added.
"I would advise any player aiming to break into the first-team at their
respective clubs to go and play regular competitive football in the lower
leagues."
Uddin captained West Ham to their last FA Youth Cup trophy success in 1999
and the ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Dagenham and Redbridge defender says
Hector reminds him of another former team-mate.
"Coming on loan as a young player can be difficult but Michael was a good
lad who fitted in really well," said Uddin, who combines his role as a
Football Supporters' Federation diversity campaigner with managerial duties
at Essex Senior League side Sporting Bengal.
"He had bags of ability, a really good attitude and a great work ethic. He
was a breath of fresh air and definitely one I could see doing really well
if he continued to improve.
"He reminded me a little bit of Rio Ferdinand. There are definite
similarities between the two. I don't want to put any added pressure on him
because Rio Ferdinand was probably the best centre-half I played with and
one of the best centre-halves in the world in his prime.
"Rio had a number of attributes. He wanted to play and was very comfortable
on the ball. You could have played him in midfield and he wouldn't have
looked out of place. He (Hector) was also very comfortable on the ball but
he also made the right decisions more often than not."
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