WIVENHOE Town have signed former West Ham, Celtic and Ipswich winger Stuart Slater.Slater, who will be 40 in March, is linking up with former team-mate Julian Dicks, now manager at Broad Lane, and will be in the Wivenhoe squad for Saturday's home clash with Haverhill Rovers.

Mike Bacon

WIVENHOE Town have signed former West Ham, Celtic and Ipswich winger Stuart Slater.

Slater, who will be 40 in March, is linking up with former team-mate Julian Dicks, now manager at Broad Lane, and will be in the Wivenhoe squad for Saturday's home clash with Haverhill Rovers.

With professional moves totalling more than �2m, he is sure to be a fine addition to the Essex team's squad.

“Stuart is still a quality footballer and I know he will do well for us at this level,” Dicks said.

“I used to look after him at West Ham and he still looks fit and very capable. Apart from anything else it will give the rest of the team a lift.”

Wivenhoe haven't won a league game in eight now, but Dicks is not despondent about the way the team is progressing.

“When I came over from Spain to see them lose 4-0 to Needham, things looked a bit sort of difficult and there was little enthusiasm.

“But I've kept at them, telling them I expect nothing less than 110% and things have improved.

“At Wisbech last week, it was all going well after 70 minutes, but we lost a bit of concentration. But it will come if the players keep giving their all.”

Slater is sure to be a crowd-puller to Broad Lane on Saturday, the Sudbury-born player having played more than 250 times for Celtic, West Ham and Ipswich.

He last played in 2004 for Weston-super-Mare and finished his final season there by scoring in a 1-1 draw at Bishop's Stortford.

mike.bacon@archant.co.uk