| Mick Harford's reputation within football was of a real hard man, the sort that would make media examples of the player quiver with fear. Yet to his huge credit, Harford's bruising style of play in leading many a club's line (he played for ten different league clubs during his long career) never threatened to override his ability to score goals from any position, while his disciplinary record was pretty good for a guy supposedly in the habit of half-killing anyone who looked his way in the wrong manner. His enjoyable and successful spell at Luton Town in the late 1980s (they won the 1988 League Cup with a thrilling 3-2 win against Arsenal) under David Pleat and unrelated namesake Ray Harford earned a couple of England caps in 1988, firstly as a sub for the ineffective Clive Allen during a catatonically dull goalless draw in Israel; then as a starter in the first game after England's catastrophic 1988 European Championship finals campaign, as Robson determinedly sought potential target-man replacements for Mark Hateley, whose performances at the 1988 competition angered the England coach so much that he wouldn't be chosen again. England beat Denmark 1-0 in Mick's second game and, in an obvious tactical change by Robson, Harford was replaced by Tony Cottee. Robson then found his man in Steve Bull and Harford wouldn't be back, but few doubted the brace of caps he won were deserved. (Matthew Rudd) |