EASTLEIGH have signed former £4 million player Gary McSheffrey until January.

The 35-year-old was a free agent after spending last season with promoted League Two outfit Doncaster Rovers.

A veteran of over 450 Football League/Premier League games, including 281 for Coventry City, McSheffrey has a wealth of experience - and, hopefully, goals - to offer National League outfit Eastleigh.

Injuries limited him to just 12 appearances for Doncaster during the 2016/17 campaign and he was released at the end of the season. But he was invited to stay on for pre-season at the Keepmoat and even featured in some friendlies.

Donny boss Darren Ferguson explained at the time: “I told him at the end of the season that we couldn’t offer him anything but, if he hadn’t found anything, then he could do pre-season with us. It’s important for him that he does that.

“He’s looking good, the boy, and I’m happy to help him out.”

Born in Coventry, McSheffrey made his first-team debut for the Sky Blues against Aston Villa aged 16 years and 198 days in February 1999. In doing so, he became the youngest player ever to play in the Premier League.

Having started out as a striker, he moved out to the left wing and in 2005/6 scored 15 Championship goals. That brought him onto the radar of Birmingham City who agreed a £4 million deal for him (depending on promotion and appearances) three days after his 24th birthday.

The vastly experienced attacker later returned to Coventry, via loan spells with Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, and also numbers Chesterfield and Scunthorpe among his former clubs.

In his two spells as a Sky Blue, he banged in 72 goals in 281 appearances.

McSheffrey goes straight into the Spitfires’ squad for Saturday’s National League trip to Guiseley and has been given squad number 28.