Former Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace forward Connor Wickham has signed for Dubai City FC, ending a 17-month wait for a new club.
The 32-year-old, who last featured in England for Charlton Athletic, joins the UAE second tier side after training with the PFA free agents’ squad and working in TV punditry.
Premier League Experience Heads to the UAE
Wickham brings significant top-level pedigree to his new employers, having made 120 Premier League appearances across spells with Sunderland and Crystal Palace. The Hereford-born striker first broke through at Ipswich Town before an £8m move to Wearside in 2011, where he produced a memorable burst of form in spring 2014 that proved pivotal to Sunderland’s survival.
Loans to Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday punctuated his early Premier League years, and a switch to Crystal Palace followed in 2015. After later stints with Preston North End, Milton Keynes Dons, Forest Green Rovers and Cardiff City, Wickham linked up with Charlton in March 2024. He made four appearances for the Addicks, scoring once and providing an assist, before departing at the end of the season.
Dubai City, coached by British manager Michael Rice, earned promotion from the third tier last term and are looking to add proven nous at the top end of the pitch.
Wickham open to return
Wickham had spoken publicly about his desire to return to a high level and his openness to playing abroad, sentiments that now align with his move to the Gulf.
“I’m still only 31 really. It feels like I’ve been around for ages. I still want to push myself to be at a good level, at the top level. I’ve still got a few years left where I feel like I can still provide that.
“I’m just going to keep training, stay fit. I’ve had options, but I feel like I want to challenge myself. I don’t want to get to the end of my career and be like, ‘I wish I did this, I wish I did that’. I’m sure sooner or later the right opportunity will come along and it will be one that will fit me and challenge me.”
Writer’s View
For Dubai City, this is a calculated addition of Premier League know-how to a squad fresh from promotion. For Wickham, it is a chance to reboot in a top-flight environment and turn match fitness into end product.
If he stays fit, his penalty-box presence and aerial power should translate well, and a steady run of minutes could make this a mutually beneficial step at a pivotal stage of his career.
