FUTSAL FACTOR: Ben Everson's silky skills have been attributed to his prowess in the indoor five-a-side football variant. PHOTO/Warren Buckland
STRIKER Ben Everson has yet to get on the park this summer but it's through no choice of his or premiership coach Brett Angell.
The 29-year-old nomadic Englishman could not get his clearance in time from Thailand due to the death of venerated King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, the world's longest-reigning monarch, last month.
"It was totally out of my control," says Everson. "It's quite annoying so it's not going to help to be frustrated."
That sums up the demeanour of a player who is in Angell's mix for the 1pm kick off for Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United against undefeated Canterbury United at Park Island, Napier, tomorrow in their 2016-17 Stirling Sports Premiership encounter.
Born in Middlesborough, Everson kicked a ball around as far back as he can recall in a country where the sport is in the sub conscience.
"After 20 years in England I just wanted to experience different cultures," he says.
His resume reads like an AA Travel brochure with stints at AFC United, Norton & Stockton Ancients, Shildon, Guisborough Town, El Paso Patriots, Bradenton Academics, West Texas United Sockers, Tindastll, Breiablik, York City, Gateshead and two Thai clubs before arriving here.
It was Bay United teammate Matthew Whatley, someone he played alongside in Sweden, who urged him to come to Bay United.
"I contacted Brett who asked me to turn up for a trial and two weeks later I signed up," he says, revealing Whatley has left Bay United to play for Northcote City FC in Melbourne, a team competing in a tier below the A-League.
Everson describes himself as a "creative player" who has a nose for not only finding the net but also creating chances in the selfless act of reciprocity.
Bay United skipper Finlay Milne points out the aspiring debutant's penchant for futsal and how he was part of the Middlesborough Futsal Club in 2007, helping them win the York Futsal Open the day after the club was founded.
He played for Middlesborough in the FA Futsal Cup finals, scoring 10 goals in five appearances, and competed in the Futsal Premier League as the team finished runners up.
"He's a futsal expert and you can see that flair on the ball and out there in the game," says Milne. "He's a very technical player and will add to our field."
Everson is keen to get Bay on the right side of the ledger after two defeats - 1-0 away to Eastern Surburbs AFC and 4-2 at home to defending champions Team Wellington - although the hosts are back on the victory path after a 3-1 away result over newcomers Tasman United last Sunday.
"Hopefully we can win more after two defeats," he says as the Dragons come to Bluewater Stadium as favourites perched on the third rung of the premiership ladder while Bay are two points behind in fifth place.
For Everson the transition to "good coach and good guy" Angell's style of full-press defence and attack is familiar to what he played in England.
He intends to ply his trade for a few more years around the world before settling in the United States, perhaps Texas where he attended university on a soccer-playing scholarship for five years and winning numerous accolades.
Everson returned to his country of birth to foot it in the League Two competition but left for overseas only two days later.
"I wanted to live in other countries and see a bit of the world."
He doesn't know much about the Cantabrians and likes it that way.
"It makes no difference to me if they the best or worst players because it'll just be another game for me."
Milne reckons Bay United are still in a happy place despite the losses on account of when they take stock for the playoffs at the end of the season.
"The players are starting to gel a bit more."
Milne doesn't know much about the visitors but is comfortable with that, believing they need to focus on their systems rather what the Dragons will bring to the paddock.
He is mindful that Dragons player Stephen Hoyle, his Napier City Rovers and ex-Bay United teammate, scored two goals against a nine-player Wellington Phoenix Reserves last Sunday.
"We can't let Stevie score," he says with a laugh of his former flatmate during the winter season.
Hoyle, 24, played his first game for Canterbury as striker last Sunday after running the right-wing flank, preferring the coalface but only too content to fit into German coach Willy Gerdsen's bigger picture.
"Fin and I were flatmates and good mates but on Sunday we won't be," says the chuckling Englishman who believes Angell and Gerdsen are the two best coaches in the premiership and, consequently, their teams' will make the ultimate finalists when the dust settles during playoffs.
He didn't play for Bay United because Bay girlfriend Jill O'Meagher, brother of Rovers player Riley, wanted to spend time outside the Bay.
"Napier and the ground are my home away from home [England]," he says, wanting the Bay to do well when not up against the Dragons.
He has been telling foreign Canterbury players, including American duo Chris Schultz and Matthew Wiesenfarth, the Bay weather is simply the best after persistent rain in the southern city.
Playing for the Rovers and at Park Island remain a highlight for him because he considers it to be the best club and venue in the country.
He still has good mates, such as Fergus Neil, Tom Biss and ex-Dragon Angus Kilkolly, here so he's looking forward to playing against them for bragging rights and will relish turning out before the fans once more.
Of course, his brother, defensive midfielder James Hoyle, who came off the bench last Sunday for Bay United, may score some game time again so it'll be special to be up against him.
Canterbury, he says, were already on top of their game against the Nix before he scored his two goals when the opposition were two men down.
The Dragons have signed up teenage Papua new Guinea international defender Felix Komolong but Hoyle didn't think he was going to start tomorrow.
MATCH DETAILS
WHO: Hawke's Bay Utd v Canterbury Utd.
WHEN: Tomorrow, 1pm kick off.
WHERE: Bluewater Staidum, Napier.
HAWKE'S BAY UTD: 1. Joshua Hill (GK), 2. Sean Liddicoat, 3. Kohei Matsumoto, 8. Finlay Milne (c), 6. Alex Palezevic, 9. Facundo Barbero, 10. Sam Mason-Smith, 11. Saul Halpin, 12. Ross Willox, 13. Ben Everson, 14. Martin Canales Ramos, 16. Angus Kilkolly, 17. Fergus Neil, 18. Lewis Tiller, 19. Nile Walwyn, 20. James Hoyle, 26. Ruben Parker Hanks (RGK).
Coach: Brett Angell.
CANTERBURY UTD: 1. Tom Batty (GK), 5. Tom Schwarz, 6. Gary Ogilvie, 7. Matthew Wiesenfarth, 8. Aaron Clapham (c), 10. Aaron Spain, 11. Juan Chang Urrea, 14. Andre de Jong, 15. Andreas Wilson, 16. Brock Messenger, 17. Stephen Hoyle, 18. Daniel Thoms, 19. Colin van Gool, 22. Danny Knight (RGK).
Coach: Willy Gerdsen.