Eleventh-tier Colne ‘reveal’ Jay Rodriguez signing before confirming charity support | OneFootball

Eleventh-tier Colne sparked a stir by teasing a mock signing of former West Brom striker Jay Rodriguez, before stressing it was for charity.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the Lancashire club posted images of the 36-year-old holding a red shirt on Sunday, then clarified he was supporting Pendleside Hospice during a visit to Haffners Eats Stadium.

Colne, six miles north of Rodriguez’s hometown Burnley, play in the North West Counties First Division North, the sixth level of non-league and 11th tier of English football. They finished 15th of 18 this season, and some on social media were briefly fooled.

The club’s tongue-in-cheek posts claimed his medical was done over tea and biscuits and that a contract was signed between pie and a benny’n’hot, with Holt House’s slope and promises of keema rice listed as supposed lures.

Capped once by England, Rodriguez came through at Burnley and impressed at Southampton before two seasons at The Hawthorns, scoring 33 in 90, including 22 in 2018/19 alongside Dwight Gayle, as West Brom missed out on promotion.

He returned to Burnley in 2019 for six years, then spent last season with Wrexham. The forward is a free agent after leaving the Championship club at the end of his contract this summer.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com