‘You’re playing for everybody else’ – Clyde Best was one of the first Black players to play in England, but his legacy spans across the Atlantic Ocean

Clyde Best was a hero for West Ham, but the majority of his career was spent spreading the gospel of soccer across North America

Pele called Clyde Best the prince. It was September 1970, and West Ham were playing a high profile friendly against Santos in Randall’s Island, New York – a match set up by the North American Soccer League. 22,000 people were there, roaring in the stands (Sean Connery, supposedly, among them). The Brazilian great, of course, scored a brace for Santos. But the Hammers, too, found the net twice. For them, it was Bermudan forward Clyde Best who bagged the goals. Best remembers the post-match conversation with Pele well, to this day: