Former England international David Nugent has come out of retirement at the age of 40, making his debut for eighth-tier side Anstey Nomads. The striker, who notched 635 appearances and 162 goals for clubs including Leicester City, Preston North End and Portsmouth, had been out of competitive action since 2021.
Nugent signed for the Leicestershire club in a player-coach role last week, with the team struggling with just five wins from their opening 11 Northern Premier League Midlands Division fixtures. He was thrown into the matchday squad within 24 hours of his arrival, coming on in stoppage time against Loughborough Students.
“Very odd! I didn't expect to come on,” Nugent said after the game. “Conrad asked me to come along and help coach because one of the managers has gone on holiday. I said I'd come in and help; hopefully, the lads can learn from my experience.” The crowd gave him a thunderous ovation and sang the familiar chant once heard at Leicester's King Power Stadium.
Nugent, who also represented England, is now focused on a future in management. He is working towards his B licence and saw the move as a chance to gain coaching experience close to home. “Commentating and doing analysis is different. But when you're involved, it's better to be on the pitch,” he added, noting that his legs “don't work like they used to”.
