FORMER Wanderers striker Chris O’Grady has joined non-league side Ilkeston Town.

The experienced forward was given a lifeline at Bolton in 2019 by then-manager Keith Hill after being frozen out at Oldham.

O’Grady went on to score four goals in 23 appearances as the Whites were relegated to the fourth tier in a season cut short by the pandemic.

He was one of 14 players released the following summer alongside the likes of Remi Matthews, Jason Lowe and Joe Dodoo.

Ilkeston finished top of the Northern Premier League Midlands Division last term after losing just five league matches.

And manager Martin Carruthers reckons O’Grady will have a big impact on the squad over the coming season.

“Chris is an excellent addition to our squad and brings with him a wealth of experience,” he told the club’s website.

"He is a big, powerful unit and super fit. He will certainly be of huge benefit to our current strikers who will all be able to learn and develop from Chris this season.

"He will give us different attacking options and I’m sure will bring plenty of goals to the team. This is a real coup for the club."

O'Grady came through Nottingham Forest’s youth ranks and went on to have spells with Leicester, Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton and Chesterfield among others.

The 36-year-old made over 500 professional appearances in total, scoring more than 100 goals in the process.

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