Are these the best veterans now in the lower leagues? feat. former Man United and Sunderland stars

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Leroy Lita

The latest example of one of this is the ex-Reading and England Under-21 international Leroy Lita, who recently signed a deal with relegation-threatened Yeovil Town until the end of the season.

After coming to the Glovers on the back of an unsuccessful year in Greece with second tier side Chania, it seems a lifetime ago that Lita was leading Reading to within touching distance of a UEFA Cup spot in their first season in the Premier League. An opening day winner against Middlesbrough and a mid-season run of ten goals in twelve games put Lita amongst the elite in English football, culminating in his England Under-21 call up for the 2007 European Championship in the Netherlands.

With three goals in four games, Lita was named in the post-tournament UEFA Dream Team; yet on his return to Reading injuries plagued his second term in the Premier League, and the Royals were ultimately relegated back down to the Championship.

It’s fair to say that his first few games for Yeovil haven’t exactly lived up to the heady heights of his Reading days. Missing a late penalty in your first appearance for the club isn’t exactly the best way to announce yourself to the fans, but fortunately for him an early goal from Francois Zoko was enough to see his side move further away from the relegation dogfight below them.