Non-League club with a trio of ex-EPL footballers? Kettering Town sign another star player

Earlier this year, non-league club Kettering Town saw a change in ownership, with the new owners making bold promises. They’ve lived up to those ambitions, as the “Poppies” have now added a third player with an impressive footballing pedigree.

Details: The club, competing in the Southern League Premier Central (the seventh tier of English football), has signed former Norwich City and Celtic striker Gary Hooper. The 36-year-old forward, a free agent since leaving Barnet in July, joins Kettering on undisclosed terms.

Reminder: Hooper boasts seven Champions League appearances from the 2012/2013 season with Celtic, where he scored twice. He joins other high-profile players at Kettering, including former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger and ex-Bolton and Burnley forward Marvin Sordell.

Kettering’s ownership changed hands in early 2024, with manager George Akhtar and former Barbados international Fabian Ford taking charge. Akhtar declared his goal of restoring Kettering Town to the English Football League.

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