7 players simply too good to be playing non-league football
Former Liverpool, Newcastle United and Swansea City stars are among the players simply too good to be playing in non-league.
While some top-level pros decide to bow out at the highest level, others are happy to drop down the leagues in their later years.
We’ve taken a closer look throughout the English lower divisions and have found seven players who we think are too good for non-league.
Jefferson Montero
We were scratching our eyes when we recently saw that Montero had signed for FC St Helens in the ninth tier of English football.
The former Swansea City star has rarely settled in one place for long, having played for 10 different clubs over the last seven years.
Now aged 35, we’d assumed that he’d still be going at a relatively high level, but the project at St Helens enticed the former Ecuador international.
“He knows our sporting director Mark Hayes and does a bit of work with him,” manager Michael Smith told BBC Radio Merseyside.
“He wanted to look further up the pyramid but we managed to convince him to come down and have a look and see what he thought.”
Charlie Austin
Given he scored 12 goals for Swindon Town in League Two last season, we can’t help but think that Austin could still be playing in the Football League today.
However, after weighing up his options over the summer, he ultimately opted to join AFC Totton in the seventh tier.
The 35-year-old has scored six league goals since joining the club and is looking to secure another promotion on his CV with AFC Totton currently sat second in the league.
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Nile Ranger
“I know I have baggage,” Ranger told BBC Sport last year. “If I had behaved I would have stayed at the top, but I was too unruly.”
After some notable moments in the Premier League and EFL, Ranger now plays in the seventh tier of English football at Kettering Town.
Still just 33 years old, we in no doubt that he has the natural ability to play at a higher level, but off-field issues have regularly stunted his professional career.
Corry Evans
The holding midfielder was playing in the Championship last season for Sunderland, but a nasty ACL injury has hindered his career of late.
Following a brief spell with Bradford, the Northern Ireland international joined Oldham Athletic on a free transfer earlier this month.
Given he’s still only 34, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the EFL next season, if he can put his injury problems behind him.
Pape Souare
With 48 Premier League appearances under his belt for Crystal Palace, Souare is one of the most experienced non-league players around.
After spending last season with Motherwell, the 34-year-old briefly played for Croydon Athletic before joining National League outfit Ebbsfleet United.
However, with Ebbsfleet currently sitting at the foot of the table, players like Souare will have their work cut out if the club wants to avoid the drop.
Jordan Rossiter
Still technically on the books at Shrewsbury Town in League One, the former Liverpool academy graduate recently joined National League side Oldham Athletic on loan for the remainder of the season.
Injuries have plagued the 27-year-olds career and we’re hopeful that his stint with Oldham Athletic can get him back on track following a fairly underwhelming start to life at Shrewsbury.
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Adam Le Fondre
Having recently had spells in Australia, India and Scotland, Le Fondre returned to England over the summer and joined FC United of Manchester in the seventh tier.
The 38-year-old still seems to have a sharp eye for goal, having already bagged 10 goals for the non-league side this season.
Interestingly, alongside his playing career, the former Reading forward also works as a video scout for the City Football Group.