TAMIKA Mkandawire, who skippered Hereford United back into the Football League, has left the club after agreeing a three-year deal with Leyton Orient.
The centre-back will, ironically, link up with the man who captained United in their final League season, Dean Smith, now the League 1 club's assistant manager.
Smith, who subsequently went on to play for Sheffield Wednesday and Port Vale in a Football League career stretching to more than 600 matches, was the subject of a controversial transfer when a tribunal ordered the London club to pay a derisory £42,500 for United's then star player.
But there will be no such controversy over Mkandawire, as, at 24 years of age, the talented Malawi-born player is a free agent and, under the Bosman ruling, able to negotiate his own terms without a transfer fee being applicable.
Mkandawire first came to the attention of Hereford fans when he played for a young West Bromwich Albion team in a pre-season friendly at Edgar Street in July 2003.
His participation in the match was curtailed, however, after the referee required his substitution following a handling offence which prevented a goal.
He then spent two loan spells with the Bulls during the 2003-4 season, making an excellent impression.
When Mkandawire was released by the Baggies at the end of that campaign, Graham Turner moved to sign him and the centre-back spent the next three years as a key figure in the Bulls defence where his pace and ability in the air made him a much-coveted figure.
After scoring United's opening goal in last season's Conference play-off semi-final second leg against Morecambe, a typically pacy run and pass out of defence led to United's first equaliser in the final against Halifax Town.
He then marked United's first game back in the Football League at Stockport by heading the second Bulls goal in a 2-0 win.
Player of the year in 2004-5 and again in 2005-6, Mkandawire started 164 games for the Bulls with a further five appearances as a substitute, scoring on 19 occasions.
6 Tamika Mkandawire heads home a Rob Purdie corner to give Hereford United the lead in their Nationwide Conference play-off semi-final second-leg win over Morecambe at Edgar Street in May 2006. 062020-7
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