Planet Profile – Adie Mike

It was back in 1992 when a young trainee named Adie Mike burst onto the scene for Manchester City as a tall, pacy frontman. At 18 years of age, Mike was being touted as an exciting prospect for the future, as long as he received a lucky break along the way…but the chances never came. Mike spent just over three years at Maine Road (under the tutelage of the up-and-coming Peter Reid and the more experienced Brian Horton) trying desperately to fulfil the high expectations associated with him.

The player made 5 first team league appearances at Maine Road, netting twice. He never quite made the grade, and so the subsequent eight years of his career were spent trying to achieve greater things on a lower level. This movement from club to club prompted one Man. City supporter to nickname Mike, “The Drifter”. 

While at Manchester City, Mike spent two months on loan at Bury in hope that the move would provide his slightly dwindling career with a mini-resurrection. However, progress was limited as the player made 5 appearances for the Gigg Lane outfit, finding the net on one occasion. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going as it proved with Adie Mike, as he left England for Sweden to join FC Linkoping on loan.

He remained abroad for around ten months, while still on the books of Manchester City. However, a year later, Stockport County came knocking on the door, to the delight of the player. Unsurprisingly, Stockport paid £60,000 for a player with a plethora of potential, but the football league club soon realised that this was money far from well spent. Mike went on to play just four times for County, scoring no goals.

Loan spells at Hartlepool United and Doncaster Rovers soon followed, before the player dipped into the non-league scene with Leek Town. Free transfer moves to Hednesford Town and Southport surfaced in the 1999/00 season, where the goal tally started to increase a little for the player.

It was on 31^st July 2000, almost exactly two years ago, a Keith Alexander signed Adie Mike for Northwich Victoria. In a 19 month spell, working with Alexander, Mike started to show signs of what was emerging back in ’92. In just over 50 appearances for the ‘Vics’, Mike netted 17 times.

Alexander was the man who got the best out of Adie Mike. The facts speak for themselves. Let’s hope the two can rekindle their relationship a second time round for the benefit of the Imps and the player.

Vital Statistics

Name – Adrian (Adie) Mike

Height – 6ft 0

Weight – 11st 6lbs

D.O.B – 16/11/1973 (28 years of age)

Place of birth – Manchester

Position – Forward

Nationality – English

Previous Clubs

Manchester City

Bury

Linkoping

Stockport County

Hartlepool United

Doncaster Rovers

Leek Town

Hednesford Town

Southport

Northwich Victoria

Stalybridge Celtic