Experienced former EFL player signs for 7th tier club and scores on his debut

Experienced former EFL player Chris O’Grady signs for 7th tier club Mickleover and scores on his debut in his team’s defeat to Ashton United.

Darius Osei scored a brace as Ashton returned to winning ways at Mickleover. Osei and Jason Gilchrist put Ashton into control in the first 10 minutes. Chris O’Grady pulled one back on 52 minutes, before Osei’s second decided the match.

After the 3-1 loss to Ashton, it meant that Mickleover currently sit 20th in the Northern Premier League – Premier Division table, with 24 points from 28 games, and 7 points from safety. To make matters worse, the two sides above them have two games in hand.

Young Blackpool right-back Kwaku Donkor and Kidderminster attacking midfielder Samson Hewett have also signed on loan for Mickleover this week.

MICKLEOVER STATEMENT:

The vastly experienced striker Chris O’Grady has signed for Mickleover.

With over 550 league appearances scoring over 100 goals, O’Grady started out at Leicester City and made his league debut in 2003 in the old League Division One.

He went on to play in the Premiership, Leagues One and Two, for Notts County, Rushden & Diamonds, Rotherham, Oldham Athletic, Bury, Bradford City, Stockport County, Rochdale, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Brighton, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Burton Albion and Chesterfield, before ending his football league career at Bolton Wanderers in June 2020.

More recently he has appeared for Ilkeston Town and Grantham Town and in his youth was capped by England at Under 17 level, and goes straight into the squad for tonight’s game.

MICKLEOVER SQUAD

Goalkeeper
Yusuf Mersin

Defender
Brandon Ferron
Callum Moore
Danny Benson
Jake Bennett
Kieran Brown
Ryan Wilson
Stefan Galinski
Toby Smith

Midfielder
Andy Dales
Cieron Keane
Curtis Weston
Dan Bradley
Gabriel Adebambo
Liam Carter
Michael Hollingsworth
Will Atkinson

Forward
Amarn Robinson
Andrew Buah
Dylan Edwards
Fin Ryder
Josh Carter
Marcus Barnes
Stuart Beavon (Player Coach)

Manager
Gareth Holmes

– STATEMENT ENDS –

Saturday afternoon saw Burton welcome back Chris O’Grady at the Pirelli Stadium, where was able to have a meet and greet the Brewers supporters in their Family Zone and Fan Zone.

O’GRADY’S CAREER:

Youth career
Nottingham Forest
2000–2003 – Leicester City

Senior career
2003–2007 – Leicester City – 25 games (2 goals)
2004–2005 → Notts County (loan) – 11 games (0 goals)
2005–2006 → Rushden & Diamonds (loan) – 25 games (4 goals)
2007–2008 – Rotherham United – 55 games (15 goals)
2008–2010 – Oldham Athletic – 17 games (0 goals)
2008 → Bury (loan) – 6 games (0 goals)
2009 → Bradford City (loan) – 2 games (0 goals)
2009 → Stockport County (loan) – 18 games (2 goals)
2009–2010 → Rochdale (loan) – 26 games (15 goals)
2010–2011 – Rochdale – 95 games (31 goals)
2011–2013 – Sheffield Wednesday – 60 games (13 goals)
2013–2014 – Barnsley – 59 games (21 goals)
2014–2017 – Brighton & Hove Albion – 38 games (3 goals)
2014 → Sheffield United (loan) – 4 games (1 goal)
2015–2016 → Nottingham Forest (loan) – 21 games (2 goals)
2016–2017 → Burton Albion (loan) – 26 games (1 goal)
2017–2018 – Chesterfield – 41 games (3 goals)
2018–2019 – Oldham Athletic – 47 games (8 goals)
2019–2020 – Bolton Wanderers – 23 games (4 goals)
2022 – Ilkeston Town – 19 games (7 goals)
2023 – Grantham Town – 8 games (1 goal)
2024 – Shirebrook Town – 5 games (5 goals)
2025– Mickleover – 1 game (1 goal)

International career
2002 – England U17 – 1 games (0 goals)

Social media users gave their reaction as the experienced former EFL player signs for a 7th tier club and scores on his debut…

Steve Thacker: He was decent at Burton!!

Mohammad Ibrar: Good luck

Craig Heathcote: Hopefully does better for u then he did at chesterfield

Andy Wilson: Wishing him all the best

Andrew Bingham: Ditto, hope he is better for you than he was for spireites

Andy Smith: Played for South Notts FC in Notts Senior League last season against our team. Wasn’t great.

Ian Thompson: One of the worst signings ever big reputation delivered nothing at town

Dean Kennie: Did he really join Bolton after that period with us? Must of had one hell of an agent

Paul Hoskins: Going to be tough to try keep Mickleover up, I hope he stays on for next season too, he’d be vital for them if they drop a division

Ian Egerton: Good luck Chris, from a brewer

Steve Sutton: He was at Burton on Saturday so maybe someone twisted his arm to play again

Oliver Marks: Interesting one. Hasn’t played for 18months or so it seems?

Neil Hunter: Who hasn’t he played for?? 🤣🤣

Craig North: Probably one of our worst ever strikers, alongside Proctor, Donaldson and Moores.

Jason Dix: a big fan of players who spent years in the prem and efl dropping down to non league level and ending their career like that, playing for the love of football until they can no longer. still got that hunger and goals in him at the age of 39 too so fairplay to him