Forgotten Premier League star joins MLS revolution on free transfer after four months unemployed

A FORMER Premier League star has ended four months of unemployment by joining MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps.

Winger Junior Hoilett has been a familiar name in the upper echelons of English football for the past 15 years.

Now the Canadian international has returned to his homeland on a deal until the end of the season following this summer’s departure from Reading.

The 33-year-old snubbed a move to link up with his former Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock at Huddersfield Town in order to join the Whitecaps.

And the club’s director, Axel Schuster, is delighted to have him on board.

He said: “Junior brings a wealth of experience and leadership to our group.

“He has played a key role with Canada’s men’s national team over the years, having most recently helped Canada finish at the top of Concacaf qualifying for the World Cup and was the captain at the Gold Cup.

“We are very pleased to welcome Junior and his family to the club.”

Hoilett arrived at Blackburn Rovers in 2003 from amateur club Oakville SC and he quickly progressed through their academy alongside the likes of Phil Jones.

After loan spells in Germany with Paderborn and St Pauli, he went on to become a regular in the Premier League for Rovers and made his debut against Manchester City on the opening day of the 2009/10 season.

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Hoilett left in 2012 to sign for QPR but tasted relegation with the Hoops.

However, he played a key role in helping them return to the Premier League after just one season but he departed in 2016 when his contract expired to sign for Warnock at Cardiff.

He once again tasted top-flight action and then relegation with the Bluebirds during his five-year stint in Wales, which produced 23 goals in 173 league appearances.

Having fallen out of favour under Mick McCarthy, he left Cardiff to sign for Reading in 2021.

But his second season there ended in relegation to League One from the Championship and he snubbed a contract extension to become a free agent in June.

“Wonderful surprise! Welcome to Vancouver,” wrote one fan reacting to his latest transfer move.

Another declared that Hoilett was “gonna tear it up” while another tweeted: “Looking forward to those smooth silky moves that Junior has.”