[Suggestion] Free agents/former players training with teams to gain fitness

[autohoratio]

Something that's common in the real world but not so much in FM is you'll often see free agents, or former players (particularly if they came through the club's youth academy) training with their former team, often with the reserve/youth squad. This is a bit different to the Trial system in the game as they often aren't training with the intention of getting a contract with the club, but to keep up their fitness levels or come back to fitness after a long injury layoff while their agent works on getting them a contract elsewhere. I think adding this side of the RL game into FM would be nice - even if only for the sentimentality of maintaining connections years, down the line, with newgens you once released from your U23s for not being good enough; or that 34-year-old top flight veteran training with the youth team of a club he spent a few seasons at a decade ago, mutually benefitting himself as well as imparting his professionalism, workrate and wisdom onto the youngsters while he gets back up to speed after being without a club for a few months.

[Gangor]

This could work just like a trial, except initiated by the player. 

[MaskedReferee]

I like this, you could get a news item saying "player X is currently a free agent and has contacted the club to ask if they can train with the under-21's/B team/academy while they try to find a new club"

The assistant could then offer some additional advice along the lines of:

"Player X is very experienced and could be a positive influence on some of our younger players" or "player X may be a useful addition to our squad so this would give us the opportunity to take a closer look at them". Alternatively, they could also tell you the player may be a disruptive influence or is unlikely to be good enough for the team (you could still accept our of the goodness of your heart though!)

[nms1987]

I really like the idea of player-initiated trial!  Especially with the chance for it to have a positive or negative effect on youngsters based on their personalities.  When a former player of mine is released by another club during his career, I'll usually invite them for a trial just to check in on them sort of, even if I'll never sign them.

Also maybe a chance to boost the reputation of a club slightly?  A middling club that has a few of its famous youth products come back and train might be a touch more interesting and well known than a similar club without any famous faces showing up at camp?

 

[Zachary Whyte]

Thank you for the suggestion, we'll put this under consideration for a future FM.