By Zim Sport Live
Zimbabwe international striker Macauley Bonne has joined English National League side Southend United on a one-year contract, with the club having an option to extend the deal for another season.
The 28-year-old has been unattached having been released by League Two side Gillingham at the end of last season.
Striker Bonne made 25 league appearances for Gillingham during the 2023/24 season, scoring four times, including a run of three goals in four games.
He also scored against his former team Charlton in the FA Cup and netted the winner at Accrington but spent the second half of the season at Cambridge United, joining the League 1 side on loan under Neil Harris, who had signed him previously at Gillingham.
He was a free agent this summer after being released by the Gills.
The former Ipswich striker is determined to get playing again and said: “I’m really happy to be here and crack on.
“I’ve been in today and trained with the boys and it’s a real good group.
“It’s been me my whole career, scoring goals.
“The last couple of years haven’t really gone to plan but I spoke with the manager and hopefully I can get back in the swing of things and back scoring goals in a league I know really well.”
Bonne started his career at Colchester, where he made 25 starts and 59 substitute appearances during his time at the JobServe Community Stadium, scoring 16 goals.
The Zimbabwe international scored his first professional goal on his 18th birthday when he netted for the U’s against Peterborough United in October, 2013.
The Ipswich-born forward’s contract at Colchester expired in June 2017 and he joined Leyton Orient, where he scored 49 goals in 102 games.
Bonne then left Orient in June 2019 and signed a three-year contract with Charlton, who paid in the region of £200,000 for the forward.
The striker left the League One side in October 2020 and signed for Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £2million.
He returned to Charlton in January and linked up with Gillingham, for the 2023-24 season and spent time on loan at Cambridge United, in the last campaign.
Southend head coach Kevin Maher added: “[Macauley]’s got a proven record in the National League and has played higher up so we’re really pleased to have someone of his pedigree in.
“He’s at an age where he’s still got loads to offer the club and the team.
“He’s not been playing but he’s kept himself in good shape, so we’ll look at how we get his football fitness up to speed.
“He’s still got the desire and the hunger to score goals and he wants to be part of something successful, and that’s the most important thing.”