Eduardo says plans to make stunning return in the 14th tier of English football

A former Premier League star is preparing to make a return to football in decidedly different circumstances than what he is used to.

With appearances in the Premier League, the Polish Ekstraklasa and the European Championships as an international, the striker is no stranger to the highest levels of the game.

But after hanging up his boots in 2018, it appeared the former Croatian Footballer of the year had terrorised defenders for the final time.

That is, until Kent County Division Three Central & East side Gillingham Town came calling for the star who joined Arsenal in a £7.5m deal back in 2017.

Eduardo da Silva, more commonly referred to mononymously, has been lured out of retirement to represent the minnows and serve as an ambassador for the club in the fourteenth tier of English football.

The 40-year-old told The Sun his commitment to be involved with football at grassroots level comes from his own experience coming up in the sport.

'My son is at Flamengo's academy but I didn't play for a big club in Brazil. In every community there are hidden gems like me and that's why I was delighted to become ambassador for Gillingham Town and help them recruit sponsors.'

Gillingham Town also counts fellow ex-Gunners star Denilson amongst its ambassadors, and has a strong Brazilian contingent amongst its ranks thanks to the involvement of Alex Bernardes who has links with several former Arsenal players.

Eduardo has agreed to take the pitch in a charity game later this year, and added that he has not ruled out a full-time return.

'We've even discussed registering me to play in the league,' He said. 'I want to play because even though I am retired I still play football with my friends in Brazil.'

Competing with the likes of Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott for game time during his first season in North London, Eduardo initially struggled to force his way into the starting XI under Arsene Wenger.

After Van Persie was ruled out through injury, the Croatia international was given his opportunity to shine in the league and responded with seven goals and assists in seven games.

Then, just three minutes into a clash with Birmingham at the Emirates, he would suffer a horror injury following a tackle from Martin Taylor that left him with a double leg break and dislocated ankle.

'It was a brutal tackle. I cleared the ball and my standing foot was planted on the ground, supporting my body. That's when the impact came. I fell to the ground and when I looked at my foot it was pointing sideways.'

'I realised it was bad. I panicked, I was scared, as anyone would be when seeing your foot at a horrible angle. I felt a burning pain. But Gary gave me morphine to kill it. From then on I don't remember too much.

'I do believe the foul was deliberate and the outcome could have been avoided. But only Taylor knows.'

Nearly a year after the injury, Eduardo returned to action in an FA Cup fourth round replay against Cardiff and netted twice in a 4-0 win.

Further injury issues derailed the remainder of his time at the club, and he departed for Shakhtar Donetsk the following summer having netted 21 goals in 67 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners.