Ex-Leeds United, Fulham and Aston Villa star joins 9th-tier football club | OneFootball

Ross McCormack has signed for 9th-tier side Knaresborough Town

Former Leeds United, Fulham and Aston Villa frontman Ross McCormack is highly regarded as one of the greatest Championship goalscorers of all time, and has now added Northern Counties East Premier Division side Knaresborough Town to his list of clubs.

The former Scottish international sits fourth all-time in the second-tier scoring ranks, with only Billy Sharp, Jordan Rhodes and David Nugent scoring more than his 120 in the division.

To many, McCormack is one of the best Championship players to never play in the Premier League, with three 20+ goal campaigns in the division and two moves to recently relegated sides totalling £23 million.

Aged 40, his career hasn't ended just yet, though. After two years away, McCormack has returned to semi-professional football, joining a ninth-tier side in the English pyramid.

Ross McCormack signs for Knaresborough Town

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McCormack had taken a couple of years away from playing until this summer, when he signed for Scottish amateur side Giffock North. One month later, he's on the move again and is now plying his trade in the county leagues in the NCEL.

Indeed, Knaresborough Town have announced the arrival of the 40-year-old striker, in what has been one of the more high-profile signings in the ninth tier this season.

The Boro have been a staple of the NCEL Premier Division since semi-pro football got started up again after the pandemic. This is their ninth consecutive campaign at the level, and they have finished between eighth and twelfth in the last four seasons.

Evidently, Knaresborough are looking to push towards being a play-off side this season, after beginning the campaign with 13 points through seven games. They sit two points off the top five, and they'll hope the addition of the veteran striker can help push further towards it.

How football fans have reacted to Knaresborough Town's Ross McCormack addition

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With Knaresborough being 18 miles north of Leeds, the addition of a former Whites captain and someone who won the Championship's Golden Boot while at Elland Road has generated some fanfare.

"Bloody hell😂 what a player he was for Leeds 🥹," one Leeds fan commented in the replies on X. "Whites legend!" another said.

"Amazing! Saw him many, many times at Elland Road - be good to see him again with his boots on," a Leeds fan, who evidently supports Knaresborough as a local non-league side, commented.

Some weren't as excited over the arrival, though, flocking to the comments to warn the Step 5 side about his time at their clubs in non-league for the likes of Doncaster City, who dissolved on Tuesday, and Liversedge, the side he spent five months with in 2023.

"He never moved out of the centre circle when I watched him play for Doncaster City in step 7 and got dragged on 50/60 min 😂," one fan commented, while another stated, "Don't forget his glittering career at Liversedge. Won't last till Christmas."

Knaresborough Town will hope Ross McCormack can make an impact in the ninth tier

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It's not uncommon for former professional players to continue their careers in the semi-professional game in their late 30s and early 40s, as they look to keep their competitive nature alive while their bodies still allow them to.

The likes of Martyn Waghorn and David Nugent were involved in Midlands-based semi-pro side Anstey Nomads last season under former Leicester City goalkeeper Conrad Logan, and former professionals play amateur football all across the country.

Ultimately, it's all about whether those former pros are still in the game for the right reasons, to contribute in a way that still allows them to enjoy the game, rather than just looking for a final pay cheque at a club looking to bolster their status by having a former professional at their side.

McCormack evidently doesn't have too many glowing reports of his time on the non-league circuit since he left Aston Villa, but after two years away from football entirely, you'd hope the reason for his return is that he's missed the game and wants to play it more before his body stops letting him.