Ex-Bristol Rovers, Leeds United and Middlesbrough winger finds new club

Former Bristol Rovers winger Mustapha Carayol has found a way back into football after signing a short-term contract with Burton Albion.

The 34-year-old was a free agent after his contract at relegated Gillingham expired and had spent the summer without a club.

He has been given a chance by League One’s bottom club however albeit on a short-term basis, becoming the second signing of Dino Maamria, who was recently announced as their new boss.

He was introduced for his debut on Tuesday evening, coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute for Davis Keillor-Dunn. Burton however remained winless after a 2-0 loss to promotion hopefuls Portsmouth, who remain unbeaten in the league.

After making his move to the Brewers, he said: “I’m happy to have the opportunity to be back playing football. Hopefully I can help the boys out.

"We’ve got some really good, talented footballers and I know a few of them from playing against them."

He is one of two former Rovers players on their books with Victor Adeboyejo, a loanee in the 2019/20 season, there since the start of the summer.

Carayol spent the entire 2011/12 season at the Memorial Stadium where he got six assists and four goals in 35 games after being signed by Paul Buckle.

After a year with Rovers, he was signed by Championship side Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee and spent four years at the Riverside Stadium, making 54 appearances  for Boro.

He also had short-term loan spells with both Huddersfield Town and Leeds United, before joining Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal. Carayol later joined Ipswich Town but left after eight appearances before experiencing football in Cyprus and later Turkey.