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Former Aston Villa striker Julian Joachim has come out of retirement to make a sensational move to Europa Point F.C in Gibraltar.

The 44-year-old, known as "the rock", made over 140 appearances for Villa during a five-year stint at Villa Park between 1996-2001.

He scored 39 goals for the club after joining from Leicester City before going on to turn out for Coventry City and Leeds United.

Having initially retired following his one-year stay at Notts Senior League side Aslockton & Orston, the attacker has made a bold move to join what he describes as "an exciting project" in Gibraltar.

He has joined Europa Point FC, a newly-established club, in a player-adviser role.

At the age of 44, some might wonder what he can offer the club on the field, but it appears that the former Villa's man influence off it could be the most important for such a newly formed club.

In a statement today, the club confirmed that Joachim would be helping them with the use of his new app, PlayerTrader, which helps scout young talent that have been previously released by other clubs, offering them a second chance in the game.

Speaking to the club, Joachim said: “I have been helping young players get fixed up with new clubs for a few years now.

“At the beginning of last season, through PlayerTrader, we got into discussion with a few Gibraltar teams. We sent a delegation over to find out more information and they came back really excited by all of the development plans and how progressive football is on The Rock.

“I came over myself recently and trained with Europa Point FC and decided there and then that it was a good time for me to get involved over here.

“This is a great place for some of our young players to improve their skills at a high level and for me personally it is an exciting new experience because I have never played football abroad before.

“The League is going to offer many challenges and I hope that my experience can help my new team and football in general in Gibraltar continue to progress."