MATTY Fearnley was thrown into a Tameside rivalry – but lessons learned thousands of miles away on America stood him in good stead.
Hyde United’s new midfielder made his league debut in Boxing Day’s clash with Stalybridge Celtic, which was settled for the away side by Chris Dagnall’s 79th minute strike.
The surroundings may be very different than Georgia State University, where he last played for the Panthers.

But Fearnley, who describes himself as ‘aggressive. Small but quite feisty’ is putting what he learned into practice.
He told the club: “I loved every minute in America.
“I met some people I now call family and the team I played for was very good, it was in the top 40 program every year.
“I went to four state finals and it was a great experience. I got to love on my own in a different country when I was 18, it’s basically shaped me for life.”
Fearnley may have learned life lessons on the other side of the Atlantic but his football education started closer to home, at Manchester United and Bolton., where he got to know now Tigers management team Nick Spooner and Gavin McCann.
And the 23-year-old is ready to help Hyde – who hoped to go top of the Northern Premier League, even temporarily – towards promotion.
He added: “I’ve known Nick since I was 10-years-old, he was the one that brought me to Bolton from Manchester United.
“Then I started working with Gav when I was about 16, he was my under-18s manager when I was a scholar.
“I’d just finished at Georgia State in America and came back home to England to see what it had to offer.
“I spoke to Nick a couple of weeks ago and then just sorted it out.
“As soon as I got word I could be at Hyde, I was keeping tabs on them. The lads have gone on a good run and put themselves in a good position. Hopefully, I can add to that.”