Carl Jenkinson has completed a shock move to League Two outfit Bromley following two years outside of English football.
The defender’s career started at Charlton Athletic before he signed for Arsenal in 2011, where he spent eight years in north London.
Jenkinson, who has one England cap to his name, left the Gunners to join Nottingham Forest ahead of his move to Australia where he played for Melbourne City and Newcastle Jets.
The 2014 FA Cup winner left the latter in the summer and became a free agent, but has now found himself a new club at Bromley.
“Bromley Football Club are delighted to announce the permanent signing of full-back and former England international Carl Jenkinson following his departure from Australian side Newcastle Jets,” the League Two side said in a surprise announcement on Friday.
Speaking on the move himself, Jenkinson told club media: “It’s good. I’m glad it’s sorted out now, all the international clearing stuff and that was dragging on a bit.
“So I’m really happy it’s sorted out now and it’s done and dusted.”
The move sees Jenkinson reunite with Bromley boss Andy Woodman, with the pair previously working together at Charlton.
“I know Woody from just when I was a kid coming through at Charlton, he was the goalkeepers coach for the first-team,” the right-back explained.
“So just one of them, when you know someone, Woody was always so easy to get along with, even as a young lad like a YTS boy coming through, so I knew Woody pretty well from when I was young.
“Then obviously you go off on your careers and you go on different paths, but he’s always been someone who I’ve known, I’ve kind of followed what he’s done and also what his son’s [Freddie Woodman, goalkeeper for Preston North End] doing as well.
“That kind of led into me reaching out to Woody a couple weeks ago and saying, ‘Can I come in and train?’
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“Because I wanted to keep fit and maintain my fitness, and we have that sort of relationship where I could ask that question, so it was nice that he said yeah and then it’s led to this.”
Jenkinson made 70 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal, but was unable to hold down a regular spot in their defence.
He had two loan spells at West Ham and another at Birmingham City before leaving the Gunners in 2019.
The defender featured only 15 times for Forest and signed a loan deal with Melbourne City at the beginning of 2022, where he won the A-League Men Premiership title.
Jenkinson then joined their league rivals Newcastle Jets that following summer and spent two years with the Australian side before becoming a free agent.
The 32-year-old is now part of a Bromley team playing their first ever season in the Football League after their National League promotion.
Bromley currently sit 18th in League Two on seven points with two wins to their name.
And fans could see him in action on Saturday in their clash against MK Dons.
