Ex-Newcastle striker stars as League One trialist with former Man Utd man who last played in Premier League
Two former Premier League men were shock pre-season trialists for League One side Stockport County.
Striker Dwight Gayle and midfielder Ollie Norwood played in the 1-0 defeat against Blackburn at Edgeley Park on Friday night.
The Hatters are preparing for life in League One this season and Dave Challinor has overseen a big turnover in players this summer - including the signing of Manchester City youngster Lewis Fiorini and Sunderland winger Jack Diamond. But the appearances of Gayle and Norwood against Championship side Rovers were particularly eye-catching.
Gayle, 34, has played for Crystal Palace, Newcastle, West Brom and others and was last with Derby, joining in February and scoring three goals as Paul Warne’s side were promoted to the Championship.
Norwood, who started his career with Manchester United, played in the Premier League last season for Sheffield United, making 27 appearances as they were relegated. In all, the 33-year-old played nearly 100 top-flight games for the Blades.
Whether either signs on the dotted line remains to be seen, with County opening their campaign at home to Cambridge next Saturday, 5.30pm. For the first time in 14 years, the Hatters find themselves in the third tier of English football having won League Two after losing just eight of their 46 games.
Mark Stott, who took over Stockport County in 2020 just a few months after the club won promotion from the National League North, said: “We’re definitely ahead of the curve. We’re probably a year ahead of schedule, we’re left with three years now to get to the Championship.
“We believe there’s a sweet spot in League One – and this is the time to make the transition. I think it would be a massive stretch to try and get into the Championship with the same group of players that have got us from the National League into League One.”