Pedigree chums on show

POOR old Forest Green Rovers is the tired example relentlessly trotted out by cynical pundits to cite a conceived lack of glamour in the Conference.

However, while Rovers' Nympsfield Road ground might not be football's most salubrious outpost, some of the players visiting it next season have starred in some of the world's most famous surroundings.

Next season's Conference will include former top-flight stars who once plied their trade at Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool.

There will also be a European Cup Winners' Cup winner, a full England international and a host of players with Premiership experience.

Evening Press reporter Dave Flett has taken a look at some of yesterday's heroes that the Minstermen can expect to face next season and, while their joints might creak a little, this assembled team of Conference all-stars lacks nothing in pedigree.

1 Lionel Perez (Stevenage) - Eccentric French goalkeeper who signed for Sunderland in a £200,000 switch from Bordeaux and went on to become the Black Cats' number one during their first Premiership season in 1996/1997.

He departed in 1998 for Newcastle but never played a game for Sunderland's fierce North-East rivals in two years. He had loan spells at Scunthorpe and Cambridge, where he later moved, but drifted into non-League football after leaving the Abbey Stadium.

Age: 37. League appearances: 209. Goals: 0.

2 Ian Selley (Woking) - Worked under George Graham, Bruce Rioch and Arsene Wenger for five years at Arsenal and the highlight of his career was playing in the 1-0 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final victory over Parma in Copenhagen.

He began his Gunners career in 1992 but left just after the start of the double-winning 1997/98 season. He joined Fulham in a £500,000 deal after scoring twice in 62 games for Arsenal but left for Wimbledon in 2000 after only making one start in three years. Loan spells at Southend then followed before he joined Woking at the start of last season. Won three England under-21 caps in his pomp.

Age: 30. League appearances: 78. Goals: 0.

3 Darren Wassall (Burton Albion) - Enjoyed six seasons as a top-flight player at Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough between 1986 and 1992 and played alongside England stars Des Walker and Stuart Pearce in the City Ground defence.

He made 45 appearances for Forest and scored one goal before signing for Derby County in a £600,000 deal. Wassall was a member of the Derby squad promoted to the Premiership in 1997 but, after a loan spell at Manchester City, joined Birmingham. He managed 22 matches in three years at St Andrews before being reunited with ex-Forest team-mate Nigel Clough at Burton.

Age 36. League appearances: 176. Goals: 1.

4 Danny Maddix (Barnet) - Spent 14 years at the heart of Queens Park Rangers' defence between 1987 and 2001. He played under eight different managers at Loftus Road, including Jim Smith, Trevor Francis, Don Howe, Gerry Francis, Ray Wilkins, Stewart Houston, Ray Harford and Ian Holloway.

Played 348 games for the Hoops, including 22 matches in their last top-flight season (1995/96). He spent two years at Sheffield Wednesday during their recent decline before signing for Barnet at the start of last season.

Age: 36. League appearances: 355. Goals: 15.

5 Graham Hyde (Hereford United) - Played in all of Sheffield Wednesday's three visits to Wembley for the FA Cup and League Cup final meetings with Arsenal in 1993. He ended up with losers' medals in both competitions after Andy Linighan's extra-time goal completed a domestic double for the Gunners in an FA Cup final replay.

Hyde spent 11 years at Hillsborough, leaving in 1999 just one year before the Owls' relegation from the Premiership. He joined Birmingham City on a free transfer but was loaned out to Chesterfield and Peterborough before signing for Bristol Rovers, where he has spent the past two seasons prior to his arrival at Edgar Street this summer.

Age: 33. League appearances: 301. Goals: 16.

6 Paul Cook (Accrington Stanley) - Cultured midfielder who was a crowd favourite at Norwich City and Wolves during his heyday.

He also played for Coventry City in the Premiership between 1994 and 1996, making 43 appearances for the Sky Blues.

Went on to enjoy spells at Tranmere, Stockport and Burnley before joining Accrington at the start of last season.

Age: 37. League appearances: 553 games. Goals: 55.

7 Neil Redfearn (Scarborough) - Evergreen midfielder who, having joined the Minstermen's North Yorkshire rivals Scarborough, is now at his 15th club. He played three successive seasons in the Premiership for three different clubs - Barnsley, Charlton and Bradford - and also enjoyed spells at Bolton, Lincoln, Doncaster, Crystal Palace, Watford, Oldham, Wigan, Halifax, Boston and Rochdale having started out as a Nottingham Forest apprentice.

Became a million-pound player at the age of 34 when he moved from Barnsley to Charlton and also played in Oldham's two 1990 FA Cup semi-final battles against Manchester United. The first was a 3-3 thriller while the replay ended in a 2-1 defeat. Played in the League Cup final the same year losing 1-0 to Forest and scored the injury-time penalty against Sheffield Wednesday which gave the Latics the Second Division title in 1991.

Age: 39. League Appearances: 790. Goals: 158.

8 Manny Omoyinmi (Gravesend & Northfleet) - Will be forever remembered for the gaffe that cost West Ham a place in the League Cup semi-finals. Omoyinmi, who was part of the famous West Ham youth team that also included Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, came on as a substitute in the quarter-final victory over Aston Villa but failed to inform manager Harry Redknapp that he was cup-tied, having played for Gillingham earlier in the competition while on loan.

The match was replayed and West Ham went on to lose 3-1. Two Upton Park administrative staff lost their jobs over the fiasco and Omoyinmi never played for the Hammers again. While at West Ham, he was loaned out to Bournemouth, Dundee United, Leyton Orient, Gillingham, Scunthorpe and Barnet before switching permanently to Oxford. He played at Margate and Gravesend on loan last season.

Age: 26. League appearances: 108. Goals: 16.

9 Nigel Clough (Burton Albion) - Still playing at the age of 38 six years after leaving League football to become Burton's manager. Clough won 14 England caps while playing for Nottingham Forest between 1984 and 1993 and also won two League Cups while playing for his father Brian at the City Ground.

Moved to Liverpool in 1993 for £2,275,000 when Forest were relegated to the Premiership. Spent three years at Anfield before joining Manchester City in a £1.5million deal. At both clubs, he failed to reproduce his Forest form and became Burton boss in 1998.

Age: 38. League appearances: 402. Goals: 113.

10 Mark Robins (Burton Albion) - The man largely credited for saving Alex Ferguson's job at Manchester United in 1990.

Robins' goals in the run to the FA Cup final were crucial for Ferguson, who was under immense pressure. The young striker netted the only goal in a vital third round defeat of Nottingham Forest and went on to score against Newcastle in the fifth round before grabbing the winning strike in the 2-1 semi-final replay against Oldham.

Robins also came on as a substitute in the 3-3 final draw at Wembley but did not play in the 1-0 replay win. Scored 17 goals in just 27 starts for United between 1986 and 1992 and won six England under-21 caps. He was transferred to Norwich for £800,000 and went on to play in the Canaries' famous UEFA Cup win at Bayern Munich.

Joined Leicester for £1m in January 1995 and was a sub for match-winner Steve Claridge in the 1997 1-0 League Cup final win over Middlesbrough. Loan spells at Reading and Manchester City were punctuated by a spell in Europe before he plundered 44 goals in 84 for Rotherham.

Spent last season at Sheffield Wednesday where he scored his 100th League goal.

Age: 34. League appearances: 347. Goals: 100.

11 Roy Essandoh (Gravesend & Northfleet) - Enjoyed more than his 15 minutes of fame when his header saw Wycombe Wanderers dump Premiership Leicester City out of the 2001 FA Cup quarter-finals.

Essandoh, playing for nothing, had only been involved in the game after answering an SOS teletext call by manager Lawrie Sanchez for non-cup-tied strikers on the eve of the tie.

His goal, as a substitute, set up a semi-final meeting with the mighty Liverpool but he could not repeat his heroics after again coming off the bench against Gerard Houllier's men. Never hit such heady heights at Wycombe again and was released after seven months.

The Belfast-born Ghanaian has endured a nomadic existence with other spells at Cumbernauld United, Motherwell, East Fife, VPS Vaasa, Rushden & Diamonds, Barnet, Billericay, Grays and Bishop's Stortford.

He cost Gravesend £4,000 but has already repaid that modest fee with seven goals in nine starts since signing.

Age: 28. League appearances: 15. Goals: 0.