Former Premier League hotshot trains with Robbie Savage’s seventh-tier non-league team – and they could sign him up as a free agent at the age of 38

Robbie Savage’s ambitious Macclesfield FC have reportedly had a former Premier League striker training with them – with a view to signing him on a free. 

Macclesfield FC, a phoenix club of Macclesfield Town, are flying through the football pyramid after back-to-back promotions since starting out in the North West Counties Premier Division back in 2020.

Savage, Macclesfield’s director of football, is always trying to raise the bar and having a former Premier League striker lead the line would be quite the coup.

The Telegraph report that former Newcastle United star Papiss Cisse is the man training with the non-league side. 

The 38-year-old free agent, who spent four years in the north east, has been searching for a new club since leaving French side Amiens SC in the summer. 

Cisse might not be Premier League calibre these days but he did finish last season as Amiens’ top scorer, hitting 12 goals for the Ligue 2 side. 

The Telegraph report that the Macclesfield connection arose because the Senegalese star is living in the area and has wanted to keep his fitness up. 

Managed by Alex Bruce, son of former Newcastle boss Steve, Macclesfield are no stranger to inviting higher level players in to train with them.

It has been reported that former Everton forward Oumar Niasse has trained with Bruce’s squad also.

The Liverpool Echo claim that Niasse, who spent time at Morecambe last season, has been involved in ‘pick-up’ style games for free agent players in recent weeks.

But Cisse would be a major coup were Macclesfield able to pull his signing off. 

Former Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse is now reportedly training with the non-league side

He started his career in Senegal with Douanes Dakar, before landing a move to France with Metz, where he made 95 appearances over a six-year spell. 

It was a successful move to Freiburg in Germany that put him on Newcastle’s radar, and after joining the Magpies in 2012, he proved a hit with supporters. 

Cisse scored 44 goals across his five seasons in the top flight of English football.

He is most remembered for an incredible brace in a 2-0 win at Chelsea, one of which was a thunderous volley that swerved past Petr Cech. 

That was the pinnacle of Cisse’s career, with moves to Shandon Luneng in China, and Alanyaspor, Fenerbahce and Caykur Rizespor in Turkey to follow. 

Macclesfield are currently sixth in the Northern Premier League, 13 points adrift of runaway leaders Radcliffe, who have won all eight of their opening matches.

Bruce’s side were 2-1 winners against Whitby Town at the weekend, with John Rooney, brother of former Man United and England star Wayne, scoring the first of their two goals.  

Macclesfield are rapidly climbing the FA pyramid having enjoyed successive promotions