Wickham has trained with Bromley as he eyes a return to football following spells at Charlton and Wigan

Former Sunderland striker Connor Wickham is training with League Two side Bromley as he looks to return to professional football after more than a year out of the game.

The 31-year-old has been without a club since his short spell at Charlton Athletic came to an end last summer. Wickham made four appearances for the Addicks but has not played competitively since.

He has spent time training with Wigan Athletic’s Under-21s and Watford’s youth teams over the past year to maintain fitness, while also beginning a media career with Sky Sports. However, the former England youth international is now back on the pitch with newly promoted Bromley, who are preparing for their first-ever season in the EFL.

Wickham is well known to Sunderland supporters after joining the club from Ipswich Town in 2011 for £8million – a fee that was, at the time, a record for both Ipswich as a selling club and for a Premier League side buying an EFL player. The striker spent four years on Wearside, making 91 appearances and scoring 15 goals, including a crucial run of form during the club’s famous 'great escape' under Gus Poyet in 2014. He also had loan spells at Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday before moving to Crystal Palace in 2015.

That deal was officially undisclosed but widely reported to be worth up to £9million, taking his total career transfer fees close to £17million. Since leaving Palace, Wickham has endured an injury-hit few years, with spells at Preston North End, Forest Green Rovers and Charlton. Whether Bromley will offer him a route back into the game remains to be seen, but the former Sunderland man is back training.

Sunderland conclude Habib Diarra deal

In other news, Sunderland have confirmed the signing of RC Strasbourg captain Habib Diarra. The deal is believed to be comfortably a club record, and could eventually reach around £30million. Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said the deal reflected the club’s ‘progress and ambition’ as they return to the Premier League following an eight-year absence.

Diarra, 21, is a Senegal international who will add versatility and dynamism to Sunderland’s midfield options next season. He has signed a five-year contract on Wearside. “Habib is an exciting talent, and we are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC,” Speakman said.

“At 21, he already has more than 100 senior appearances on his resume, and he’s been a captain in one of Europe’s elite leagues. This underlines his undoubted quality and immense potential, and it reflects our progress and ambition that we have secured a player of his calibre. Like Sunderland, Habib is ready for the Premier League, and we look forward to taking this exciting step with him.”

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In a statement, Sunderland confirmed that Diarra would now have an extended summer break, having had significant international commitments since the end of the season. He’ll therefore link up with his new team mates at the Academy of Light later this month. Diarra is Sunderland’s second signing of the summer, after Enzo Le Fée officially became a Black Cats player on a permanent basis on Tuesday. Sunderland are also close to signing left back Reinildo Mandava following his departure from Atletico Madrid.

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