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Seb Hines is living the dream.

He is fully fit and a first team fixture for MLS side Orlando City based in the Sunshine State of Florida.

He has wonderful weather all year round in an amazing location with a brilliant lifestyle and his four kids enjoy days out to Disneyland and the Epcot Centre rather than Flamingo Land and the Metro Centre.

“But the main thing is just that I am back playing football,” says the former Boro defender.

“I am playing regular first team football week in, week out and that is all I’ve ever wanted to do.

“Yes, all my friends tell me I am living the dream. It’s a great lifestyle, there’s no question about that. The kids love it. It is incredible to think that Disneyland and Universal and all the water parks are on the doorstep and that we can go on jet-skis and enjoy so many outdoor activities in wonderful weather.

“But for me, it is all about getting a game and being a regular part of a team and doing what I have trained to do all my life. Being over here has let me be a footballer again.”

The frustrations of an injury blighted Boro career

His career in England was in danger of fizzling out, a series of niggling injuries restricting him to a stuttering series of first team cameos at Boro and blighting moves away.

Hines had burst onto the scene at Boro as a 17-year-old hot prospect a with goal on his debut in a 4-3 FA Cup third round replay win over Hull in January 2007.

After that he made occasional outings from the bench in the Premier League before looming into the first team picture after relegation.

Under Tony Mowbray the Wetherby-born defender became a regular playing 16, 27 and 27 games in successive seasons, although each of those campaigns was punctuated by injuries: ankle, calf, hamstring, a broken jaw after getting his teeth kicked out at Ipswich.

A deadline day move from Boro to Birmingham in August 2014 fell through after a failed medical then a loan move to Coventry under Mowbray ended with another niggle.

“My career in England was very frustrating,” he confesses.

“I had a lot of injuries and that meant I never really got a good run in the team. I felt I wasn’t reaching my potential.

“I was in and out, filling gaps and getting a few games here and few there. The injuries were a problem. There’s no denying that. I had nine operations in my time at Boro and every time I got fit and got back into the team I had a set back.

“I felt frustrated. You just want to play and I wasn’t getting a game at Boro and other teams look at your injury record and won’t take a risk.

A timely new challenge over the pond

“My loan at Coventry wasn’t working out and I went back to Boro and I was feeling pretty down but I spoke to one of the scouts and he asked if I would consider moving to MLS.

“I said yes. The scout knew an agent who dealt with Orlando City and it went from there. And I’m a US citizen because my Dad is American so that made it easier.

“It started off as a loan and I came over while my wife stayed at home - she was pregnant - but once my deal at Boro finished it got extended. And I needed that. I needed a chance.

“I felt I needed a new challenge and a new club, a new environment so I could shrug off that “injury prone” tag and MLS has been brilliant for me. And so far so good...”

Hines, now 28, is fully fit and flying - “the weather must be good for my body” - and made 23 MLS appearances in his first year, scored once and was named in the MLS Team of the Week twice.

So far this season he has played 13 and scored twice to help push Orlando - who also feature Brazil World Cup winner and one time World Player of the Year, Kaka - to the fringes of the Eastern Conference play-offs.

Hines has deftly bridged the culture gap and adapted smoothly to Stateside soccer - and he has made the move at a good time.

Boom time for Stateside soccer

It is boom time for MLS with an influx of top talent, investment in new teams (Orlando were an expansion franchise last year) and new grounds while a Fox/Sky TV deal has taken it to a global audience.

“I didn’t know what to expect from the MLS but it has been great,” said Hines. “It is a league that is progressing very quickly, the stadiums are excellent, the crowds are big - there is a real buzz around the game.

“And some people may think it is weak league but it isn’t,” he insists.

“The quality in the league is very high. We have big, big names here now: Lampard, Gerrard, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole, Andrea Pirlo. David Villa is at New York and he is an amazing talent and probably the best player I’ve been up against.

“Then there is Sebastian Giovinco at Toronto. He was the league MVP - player of the season - last year and can feel very unlucky not to have made the Italy squad for the Euros."

Hines adds: “So there is a lot of quality here and for me it is an opportunity to test myself against some top talent. And I am enjoying that, who wouldn’t?”

“MLS is a strong league and very competitive. If you watch it (live games and highlights are shown on Sky Sports in the UK) you will see it is hectic, end-to-end stuff.

“It is part of American sports culture that the fans demand attacking play and goals. You don’t see too many goalless draws. Every team is set up to attack and every team carries a threat and for a defender that isn’t ideal - but it is great to play in and is always entertaining.

“The biggest difference is probably the travelling. There are huge distances to cover. We’ve just been to Chicago. We’ve got away games at Montreal and LA Galaxy coming up and they are thousands of miles away. It is not like just jumping on the team coach to go to Elland Road.

“Some trips mean three days away and that takes some getting use to. It was difficult at first but I am getting my head around it now. You know it's coming.

“And there are not so many games as in England on the MLS schedule so you get time to prepare.”

Orlando City: a club on the up

Orlando are new to MLS but have big ambitions centred around a purpose built new city centre ground next year within walking distance of the downtown bar district and with a roof designed with the intention of creating the loudest and most intimidating atmosphere in the league.

“Orlando is a fantastic club,” gushes Seb. “It is a new franchise heading in the right direction and there is a real buzz around it.

“We are moving to a brand new 25,000 capacity stadium next year and every one is really looking forward to it, the players and the supporter. We are getting new training facilities. It is a great set-up behind the scenes. The club is growing. The whole MLS is growing.

“I taken a bit by surprise by the fan-base to be honest. There is a 30,000 average at games and we’ve had some games in the bigger stadiums over 60,000. And it can be pretty loud. There is a great atmosphere. People love soccer here.

“Our ground at the minute only holds 20,000 but it is always full. We have a lot of regulars plus we get a lot of English or European tourists who want to take in a game and I think they are surprised by the intensity.

“The real diehards are called the Purple Wall, a whole swathe of purple and they create a fantastic atmosphere with a lot of noise and colour, flags and flares. They are the ultras, the hard-core. It looks and sounds great. It can be a bit intimidating for visiting clubs I think.

“It is tough for teams to play here with the atmosphere and the climate and we’ve got a got record at home.”

Hines grew up as a Leeds fan and then experienced some pulsating times at Boro so he knows all about the fanaticism around clubs. The MLS may not have that ingrained heritage but it is not short on emotion.

“You don’t have clubs with decades of history and that intensity of rivalry like in England but the fans here have really embraced the game,” he explains

“There is no doubting the passion. You have a lot of fans originally from countries where football is massive, so they know the game and a lot of new fans have really bought into the whole soccer supporting thing and on matchdays you should hear the noise.

“And Orlando has embraced the team. When you walk around the city you see people wearing the purple. And we get recognised out and about, some more than others: Kaka is always being mobbed for photos and autographs. He’s a massive star.

“We are doing well. The target this season is to reach the play-offs and after that anything can happen.”

Some familiar faces - and accents - in the MLS

Hines is part of an English exodus to the States. The big names have gone over as marquee players but there are plenty of others dotted on team rosters, including some Boro fans will recognise.

“There are a lot of familiar faces over here, a lot of players from England you know, who you have played with or against,” says Seb.

“I saw Kei Kamara not long ago. He is at New England Revolution now and we played against them a few weeks ago and we had a good chat.

“Last year Sean St Ledger, who I played alongside at Boro, was here on the roster at Orlando for a while and it was nice to team up again. He’s at Colorado Rapids this season.

“And there are a lot of others who you only know in passing or through mutual friends, lads like Bradley and Shaun Wright Phillips, who you will always stop and chat to.

“There is a quite a little network of English players who phone and text each other and there is all the usual banter before games if they are due to play each other.”

A new role for ‘Headmaster’ Hines

At Boro ‘young’ Seb was always seen as the kid who had come through the ranks and never quite made a breakthrough but at Orlando he has emerged as a respected elder statesman of the locker room - and he is relishing the responsibility.

“I’ve got a different role at Orlando and I like it,” he said. “I am one of the senior pros here. I am 28 now and in my prime. I have got experience of playing in top leagues and people respect that. It is not like when you come through the ranks. I was always one of the younger guys at Boro.

“Some of the guys here call me ‘Headmaster Hines’ partly because I scored four headers in one game last year and partly because I hand down lessons from playing in England.

“I learned my trade alongside some brilliant players like Southgate, Woodgate, Huth and Riggott. I trained up against the likes of Viduka and Yakubu. And I’ve played up against some top, top talent.

“And now I am an old head passing on some of those lessons to the younger guys and they look up to me. I am enjoying the responsibility.”

Seb still has a strong bond with Boro

But while he his carved out a new career and a new life, Seb’s bond with Boro remains strong. He is intensely proud of his spell at the club and supports them from afar.

“I had a brilliant time at Boro,” he declared. “I was there in golden era when we won the Carling Cup and FA Youth Cup and played in Europe and it was amazing being part of the club when it was buzzing.

“I had some great moments personally. I played in the Premier League. I played alongside some amazing players in big matches at great stadiums. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

“And Boro are a big, big club. Supporters may take it for granted but people in the game will tell you Boro are a fantastic club: the stadium, the training facilities, the fanbase, the history, the chairman... everything about the club is geared for the top flight and for success.

“I’m delighted they are back in the Premier League and I was so pleased for everyone in the club and in the area when they won promotion. I know how important it is.

“My wife Kirstie is from Middlesbrough and I have a lot of friends and family there who are Boro daft and of course I have a big emotional stake in the club too. I still know a lot of people there and still speak to George Friend regularly to keep in touch with what’s happening.

“I’m coming home in December in the off season and I’ll take in a game.”

A future playing for the stars and stripes?

Meanwhile, in the States there are growing whispers that the lad from Wetherby could soon be playing for the USA.

Two solid seasons in MLS have given him domestic exposure and caught the eye of the soccer media and whenever a squad is due to be announced his name is mentioned as a possible call-up. Could it happen?

“Well I’ve got a passport and I’m eligible for the team but I’m not really looking that far ahead,” he says coyly.

“And it’s not like my granddad was just passing through as a tourist. My dad is American and I was brought up knowing I was too.

“But the national team? I’m not sure. I am just thinking about establishing myself here first, playing regular football, reaching my full potential as a player and doing the best I can for Orlando. That is my goal. Anything after that is a bonus.

“Obviously it would be fantastic if that did come along. I would be very flattered and honoured - but I’m not thinking about it just yet.

“And the US is a strong team, they did well in the Copa America and have been to the last few World Cups. They have some good defenders too like Geoff Cameron at Stoke, Fabian Johnson at Borrussia Moenchenglabach and DeAndre Yedlin (who has just joined Newcastle) so I’d have to really impress to break in.

“Right now I just want to concentrate on my own game, improve and help Orlando to success and then we’ll see what the future brings.”