His playing career was before my time and I've seen no clips of him in action that I can recall but I know him by reputation, I know him from interviews and I like to think that I can appreciate what makes a legend.
I know from my Dad's description of his playing style that he was incapable of giving less than 100% in every single game that he played; a centre forward who would leave the pitch looking like he had been in a war.
I know that he is one of the few players to have played for Everton, Liverpool and Tranmere and to have been equally loved by fans of each; there are very few footballers that can make that claim. Dave Hickson doesn't appear to have been the kind of guy that would have made any claims about his own status or ability though, the impression he gave is that he felt privileged and grateful to hav been involved in a sport that he loved for his entire life.
This morning, City Talk's breakfast show ran a piece of an interview that he gave a short while ago where he described playing until the age of 77, his decision that he had played his last game forced upon him due to a trapped nerve caused by 'coming down a bit hard' from a challenge. I can't imagine that there are many 77 year olds who would have been 'up' for the challenge in the first place.
The interview was one of the most touching, moving, gentle, thoughtful pieces that I've heard in a long time; it was notable that he could truly, sincerely say "my whole life has been football, I've loved my life" and that his only wish would be that he could have just one more game. It was a perfect example of a simple, pure love of football that seems to be rare amongst players today, a perfect example of a man who appeared to be truly happy, truly content with the way that he'd lived his life.
It was fitting that Dave Hickson spent his later years working once again at Everton, a visible figure on match days, greeting the public, representing the club that he loved more than any other; he had notably said that he would have broken bones for every club that he played for but he'd have died for Everton.
RIP Dave Hickson. A gentleman. A legend.
Check out Ian's blog Mumbling Into The Void and follow his mumblings on Twitter here.
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