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Robbie Savage's ambitious Macclesfield FC have been courting former Premier League stars in their bid to climb the English football pyramid.
Macclesfield FC, a phoenix club from Macclesfield Town, have started their rapid rise following back-to-back promotions since starting 2020 in the North West Counties Premier Division.
Savage, Macclesfield's director of football, appointed former Hull City defender – and son of ex-Birmingham and Newcastle boss Steve Bruce – Alex Bruce as the club's manager at the end of October.
While ex-Magpie Papiss Cisse trained with the team last month after his release from French side Amiens SC in the summer and picked up Everton flop Oumar Niasse on a short-term contract.
On Tuesday, ahead of their Cheshire Senior Cup tie against Tranmere, the club announced that Danny Simpson would be part of their matchday squad.
Robbie Savage is director of football at Macclesfield FC and he is always trying to raise the bar
The 36-year-old came through the ranks at Man United before making eight appearances for the club before leaving in 2010.
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Simpson was a crucial part of Leicester City's unlikely Premier League win in 2016
Oumar Niasse scored a hat-trick in Macclesfield's 4-2 win over Tranmere on Tuesday
The 36-year-old, who is studying for his coaching badges at Old Trafford, has been a free agent since leaving Bristol City in 2022 and revealed last month that he was training with Savage's squad.
“Nobody knows this, but I train at Macclesfield twice a week,” he said on television Filthy Fellas podcast. 'I've got to get up somehow to go to a training ground with the boys, train and kick a football.
'I had to go somewhere before I started helping with coaching at United because I was lost for six months.'
The Silkmen ran out 4-2 winners against Tranmere on Tuesday evening thanks to a hat-trick from Niasse. Simpson lasted 78 minutes in his first appearance for the club.