Swansea City cult hero makes shock return to English football with non-league side
Former Swansea City winger Jefferson Montero has made a shock return to English football by signing for non-league side FC St Helens.
The 35-year-old, who made 78 league appearances for the Swans after joining in 2014, and also enjoyed spells at Villarreal, Levante, Real Betis, West Brom and Birmingham.
He will now be plying his trade in the North West Counties Premier Division in the ninth tier of English pyramid. Sign up to our Swansea City newsletter here.
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St Helens take on Chadderton at Avro's Vestacare Stadium on Friday night (January 17), but Montero is unlikely to feature, and could instead make his debut on January 25 when they travel to Colne.
The Ecuadorian’s arrival comes on the back of a collaboration with SMS Pro Soccer, an academy in his homeland run by former Manchester United star Antonio Valencia.
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The club's sporting director Mark Hayes said of the move: "I am absolutely delighted to bring Jefferson to FC St Helens. With SMS Pro Soccer, I work with Antonio Valencia's academy in Ecuador - AV25 - and Jefferson has been playing there.
"There are some incredible talents at AV25, they have had three promotions in three years. However, we've been lucky enough to sign the one who is ex-Premier League and La Liga.
"This isn't a publicity stunt. Jefferson is still hungry, having only recently stopped playing, and he's exactly what FC St Helens needs for the second half of the season push."
