£12m former Aston Villa signing and ex-Leeds United star makes shock move to non-league club

Ex-Aston Villa player Ross McCormack has made a shock move to West Yorkshire-based non-league side Liversedge FC in a combined player and director of football role.

The 36-year-old returns to the White Rose County nine years after his departure from Leeds United. Liversedge were promoted to Northern Premier League East last term.

A Liversedge statement confirmed: “We are delighted to announce Ross will join us as a Player/Director of Football. Bringing an additional wealth of knowledge and experience to the Liversedge FC family, we can’t wait to have him on board.”

McCormack joined Aston Villa for £12million in 2016 after previously turning out for the likes of Rangers, Cardiff City, Leeds United and Fulham.

He spent four years at Elland Road before signing for Fulham in an £11million transfer. He made the switch to Villa in 2016 but despite being at Villa Park for three seasons, he made just 24 appearances for the Birmingham outfit. He had loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Melbourne City, Central Coast Mariners and Motherwell before being released by Villa in 2019. He joined National League side Aldershot Town in September 2020.

Roberto Di Matteo signed McCormack but after he was sacked in October 2016, the forward fell out of favour under new manager Steve Bruce and was accused by the former boss of "continually missing training" in January 2017.

“It got personal between us,” McCormack told The Athletic earlier this month. “But the thing is, I was excited when he first came in. I’d been told he’d tried to sign me before at Birmingham. He played two up front and I thought everything would be sweet. I was looking forward to it.”

In his last season with Leeds during the 2013-14 campaign, McCormack won the Championship Golden Boot, was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year, was Leeds United Players’ Player of the Year, Leeds United Fans’ Player of the Year and picked up the club’s goal of the season award, retaining the title he’d claimed in the 2012-13 campaign.