I’m an unemployed ex-Arsenal star… I’m training with little-known, hand-picked squad in desperate bid to find new club

A FORMER Arsenal prima has lifted the lid connected their bid to find a caller club.

The defender, 32, played 70 times for the Gunners betwixt 2011 and 2019.

After 3 indebtedness moves distant from the Emirates helium near permanently 5 years ago, landing a power to Nottingham Forest.

He past played successful English shot for the Tricky Trees successful 2021, earlier heading Down Under to proceed his vocation successful the A-League.

Following 3 years successful Australia, the Harlow-born ace is backmost successful the UK arsenic a escaped agent, and is determined to beryllium his fittingness to a prospective caller club.

He precocious sat down with erstwhile England goalkeeper Ben Foster connected the "Fozcast" to picture his hunt for a caller club, and however helium has kept acceptable portion grooming with a full squad of escaped agents.

During their conversation, Carl Jenkinson admitted that helium stumbled into the PFA strategy portion grooming with pal and ex-Brentford centre-back Charlie Goode.

"I didn't cognize astir it until astir 5 weeks in," helium admitted. "It was conscionable done connection of mouth.

"One of the lads I was grooming with connected my own, who utilized to play for Brentford, Charlie Goode, who's present astatine Stevenage - helium conscionable said to maine 1 time arsenic we were doing a league with a manager 'have you heard astir this PFA programme?'

"I didn't cognize thing astir it. He said 'I'll nonstop you implicit the details tonight' and started explaining what it was each about.

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"It was virtually the adjacent time I said 'look, I've work done each the details, it sounds unbelievable,' It's precisely what we need.

"I said 'Chaz, you request to beryllium determination arsenic well'. So we both, virtually the time after, went up there."

Foster, who retired past year pursuing a spell astatine Wrexham, past explained that to beryllium portion of the PFA strategy you person to beryllium a footballer, subordinate of the union, and retired of declaration to beryllium eligible to articulation up with the squad.

It was past pointed retired that the squad is 30-strong, and that with astir 600 nonrecreational footballers released successful England each year, the process is not that simple.

Jenkinson continued: "It's not if you apply, you're in. It's an exertion process."

He past revealed that the CEO had told him that the campy was aimed much astatine experienced pros, alternatively than those that had been released consecutive from academies.

Goode, 29, went connected to motion for League One Stevenage connected August 5, and has since gone connected to marque six appearances successful each competitions.

But Jenkinson, who earned 1 England headdress successful 2012, remains without a club.

With the PFA strategy having finished, the full-back revealed that helium is inactive grooming and keeping acceptable arsenic helium hopes to instrumentality to the game.

Jenkinson past admitted that clubs are much focused connected recruiting young players, and that helium would person liked the PFA campy to widen beyond the extremity of the summertime transportation window.

When Foster pointed retired that clubs are looking to motion players aged, "30, 31, 32 max" - Jenkinson replied: "I'd really accidental less.

"Just from feedback I've had from clubs, not conscionable for myself, but for immoderate of my mates - you're talking 27 these days.

"One of my pals was talking to a Premier League club, and they were similar 'we don't motion players implicit 27'.

During his clip astatine Arsenal, Jenkinson won the FA Cup successful 2014.

He besides picked up silverware Down Under, winning the A-League Premiership with Melbourne City.