A former Leicester City star who was key in their return to the Championship in the early 2010’s is still searching for a club, five months after he was released.
With the transfer window closed until January, Steve Cooper and the other managers around the globe are unable to sign players registered, however, there are a pool of players that are free agents and can be signed at any time.
Several Leicester City stars could be in the same position when their contracts expire in 2025 but for one former Fox, it’s been a hard time finding a new home.
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Former Leicester City striker Martyn Waghorn struggling to find new club
One of those in this predicament is ex-Leicester striker Martyn Waghorn.
Joining on loan from then-Premier League Sunderland as a fresh-faced teenager in the 2009/10 season, Waghorn became an instant fan-favourite for his tenacious ability, scoring 12 goals in 43 appearances.
Waghorn made his move permanent the following season but only added an extra eight goals in three years at the King Power Stadium.
After two loan spells away, the forward then joined Wigan Athletic and also played for Rangers, Coventry City, and Huddersfield Town to name a few.
He’s also had two stints with Derby County, the second of those coming to an end last season.
The forward has tried to keep fit and was named in the PFA’s squad of free agents, which was put together to help players without a club get a proper pre-season,
But, five months on from his release, the 34-year-old is no closer to finding a new club.
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Martyn Waghorn reveals how ‘crucial’ Leicester loan move aided career.
As Waghorn came through the ranks at Sunderland, it was clear he was going to struggle to force his way into first-team contention.
After joining Charlton and failing to make a major impact, Waghorn revealed that he asked the Sunderland boss Steve Bruce to let him leave on loan – a decision that proved to be the right one.
“It was crucial,” he told the Roker Report.
“I could have stayed at Sunderland and got fifteen minutes here and there, maybe got a chance if someone got injured but I agreed with Steve Bruce that I needed minutes and agreed to go and moving to Leicester was massive for my career, yeah.
“I had a great year. I think loans can sometimes be seen as underappreciated by players, knowing they’ll go back to their parent club, but I wanted to have a really good go at it.
“I had a good manager there who looked after me and Leicester had a good young squad that had been promoted from League One – I scored 12 goals come season end, so it worked out perfectly for my first year.”