By Tim Dudding

As a tough-tackling full-back, Micky Adams's playing career began at Gillingham, and also saw him turn out for Leeds United, Coventry City, Southampton and Fulham, before taking his first steps into management as player-manager at Craven Cottage in 1996.

Adams had an emphatic impact, guiding Fulham to automatic promotion into Division One at the end of the 1996/97 season. His success counted for little however, when businessman Mohamed Al Fayed took over in the summer of that year and promptly dispatched Adams to make way for Kevin Keegan.

Adams took over at Swansea City, before leaving a few days later after a disagreement over the club's finances; a spell at Brentford followed in which he guided the Bees to sixth in the Second Division, and then Adams began his first collaboration with Dave Bassett at Nottingham Forest, where he also managed in a caretaker role following Bassett's dismissal.

Then, in April 1999, Adams began his love affair with the Albion, leading the club into their current home at Withdean for the start of the 1999/00 season.

The side he built has since become one of legendary status, boasting such greats as Bobby Zamora, Paul Rogers, Charlie Oatway, Danny Cullip and, the only member of that era still playing for the club today, Michel Kuipers.

Against all the odds, Adams's squad secured the Division Three championship at the end of the 2000/01 season, but his success came at a cost. After making an impressive start to the next season in Division Two, in October 2001 the lure of Premiership football proved too much for Adams, and he departed for Leicester City to be reunited with Bassett.

Peter Taylor took over the Albion hotseat and guided Adams's squad to their second consecutive title, the Division Two championship.

Meanwhile, Bassett moved upstairs at relegated Leicester allowing Adams to become the Foxes' manager, and, against a backdrop of administration, he duly guided them back into the top flight at the first time of asking - ironically securing automatic promotion with a 2-0 victory over the Seagulls at the Walkers Stadium.

Unfortunately he couldn't stop Leicester from being relegated the very next season, and in October 2004 a run of poor results in the Championship finally cost Adams his job.

He returned to management three months later at Coventry City, where he spent just under two years before leaving in January 2007.

That summer Adams became assistant to Geraint Williams at Colchester United under the proviso he could seek other management roles, but at the beginning of this year he parted company with the Us after a number of clubs showed interest in his talents.