FORMER Huddersfield midfielder Chris Holland will be linking-up with Workington Reds when they return to training on Thursday.

Holland, 33, is a former team-mate of Reds boss Darren Edmondson and is likely to be the first of several players invited to take part in Workington pre-season training sessions.

The two met-up towards the end of last season when Holland was on the bench for Burscough at Victoria Park.

He’d had a brief spell with the Linnets after joining Fleetwood at the start of the season.

Since leaving Boston United in 2007 after their relegation from the Football League and subsequent demotion to Blue Square North, he had played for Southport and Leigh Genesis.

Holland had started his career as a trainee at Preston North End in 1993, making just one league appearance as a substitute before signing for Premier League club N4ewcastle United on 20 January 1994 for a fee of £100,000.

However, an eye injury hindered his progress and he joined Birmingham City on loan on 3 September 1996. The loan was made permanent in October 1996 for a fee of £600,000. He played over 70 games during his three years at the club.

On 3 February 2000 Holland joined Huddersfield Town for a fee of £100,000, where he scored the first goal of his professional career, a winner against Nottingham Forest on 21 March 2000.

He played regularly for three seasons clocking up 120 games, but when told by manager Peter Jackson that a new contract would not be offered at the end of the 2003/04 season he chose to join League Two club Boston United and went on to make 85 league appearances.

Holland is a former England youth and Under-21 international. He won the first of his under-21 caps while at Newcastle.

Today Edmondson told getnoticedonline.co.uk that Holland had confirmed he was coming to Thursday’s first session from his home base in Lancashire.

“I knew Chris well when we were both at Huddersfield and he was a very good player. He has had a few offers, but from clubs lower down the football pyramid, and we’ll see how things go.

“At the end of the day it will be about money and if we can fit him into a tight budget,” said the Reds boss.

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