Ex-Arsenal and England star pops up in League Two after five months unemployed

Former Arsenal defender and England international Carl Jenkinson has signed for fourth-tier Bromley. The club confirmed Jenkinson’s arrival on Friday, five months after his release by Australian side Newcastle Jets.

Jenkinson played 70 games for the Gunners, winning two FA Cups and spending eight years on the books, with loan spells at West Ham and Birmingham City also taking place during that time. At the age of just 20, the right-back earned his one and only England cap under Roy Hodgson.

His career began to trend downwards upon leaving Arsenal in 2019. Three seasons in the Championship with Nottingham Forest failed to bear fruit and he went on to complete an underwhelming stint down under.

Jenkinson, now 32, has been trying to find a new club in the months since, and League Two side Bromley have snapped him up.

“It’s good,” said Jenkinson. “I’m glad it’s sorted out now. All the international clearance and stuff was dragging on a bit so I’m really happy it’s sorted now and it’s done and dusted.”

Bromley’s 5,150-capacity stadium at Hayes Lane is a far cry from the Emirates, but Jenkinson will be eager to get a first appearance under his belt at home to MK Dons tomorrow (Saturday).

Speaking to fellow former England international Ben Foster on The Fozcast, Jenkinson was open about the possibility of his big Arsenal move – after initially breaking through at Charlton Athletic – coming too soon in his career.

“There could easily be an argument for [the move coming too early],” he said. “But the truth of it was that I got in the team [at Charlton], I started playing well, and clubs became interested.

“There were more and more coming to each game, then I heard Arsenal were interested and then whether it was too soon or it was not too soon, or I wasn’t ready to make that step up, I’m never saying no. They were my boyhood club as well, I was never going to say ‘Sorry Arsene [Wenger], I’m not ready yet, come back next year’, you know what I mean?

“When I look back now, it was a massive jump, and yeah maybe right club, wrong time, but I didn’t care that it was the wrong time. I wanted to go and play for Arsenal and have a crack.”