Exclusive: Ryan Shotton agrees to join new club as bags packed

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Published on:

18 Nov 2020, 4:38 am

Ryan Shotton has agreed to join Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory after leaving Middlesbrough in the summer, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.

The 32-year-old is heading Down Under, where he will link up with another recent Boro old boy Rudy Gestede.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Shotton will join Melbourne Victory on a free transfer.

This site broke the news yesterday that Gestede, also 32, has agreed terms with the Victoria-based club and will fly to Australia later this week.

Like the giant striker, the former Stoke City, Birmingham City and Middlesbrough man Shotton will have to self-isolate for two weeks before he is able to train with his new team-mates.

The experienced operator recently made headlines when he played for non-league Leek Town in the FA Trophy the day after turning 32.

That marked a brief return to the pitch for the former Premier League star, who has been a free agent since leaving Middlesbrough in July, until the latest lockdown suspended the Northern Premier League First Division South East side’s campaign.

Shotton had spent three years at the Riverside Stadium after joining in the summer of 2017 from Birmingham.

He made 84 appearances for the club after lengthy spells at the likes of Stoke, Birmingham and Derby County.

Shotton's career has mainly been spent in the Championship but he was also at Stoke during their Premier League days and has 48 appearances in the top flight.

In other news, Middlesbrough favourite has agreed the terms of shock transfer.

Birmingham City

Stoke City

Middlesbrough