'Need someone to pick up the phone' - Ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough man on life after West Brom exit
Former Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Bradford City winger Adam Reach is still a free agent.
The 31-year-old has spent the vast majority of his career in the Championship and developed a wealth of experience since his early days at Middlesbrough.
Most notably, he amassed over 200 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday over the course of an eventful five-year stay at Hillsborough.
He moved to West Bromwich Albion in 2021 but was released at the end of last season following the club’s failed promotion tilt.
In August, reports indicated Reach was in talks with several clubs. However, despite his pedigree, he has not been able to find a new club for the 2024/25 season.
Speaking to the Football League Paper, he said: "We're in a weird kind of paradox situation right now. The longevity of a player's career is going up because we can all stay fitter for longer. But at the same time, there's been a shift in transfer policy where the players clubs want to sign are getting younger and younger.
"Physically, I've still got potentially six, seven, eight years left. But when teams are focusing on players under the age of 23, that makes 31 sound quite old. It's kind of a scary situation. Okay, you're not going to be able to flip me in two years' time and make a profit of £10m. But there are other components to building a team, like experience."
Clubs with spaces left in their squad can still sign free agents, even though the transfer window have closed. One of Reach’s former clubs, Bradford, recently recruited two in Paul Huntington and Corry Evans.
Reach, a former England youth international, has admitted he would drop down the pyramid to get himself back into action.
He said: "I'd go down, I'd go sideways, I'd go everywhere. The whole world is an option for me right now. I think I'm just shy of 400 games in the Championship, but I'm not naive enough to think that I deserve to be in the Championship just because I've played there for the last 10 years or whatever.
"If there's an opportunity that comes up pretty much anywhere, I'd jump at the chance. I'm quite lean and naturally fit. Apart from last season when I tore my quad, I've never had any major injuries. In my opinion, I could play for another six, seven, eight years minimum. I just need someone to pick up the phone."