Justin Hoyte is trying to reboot his flagging career at Dagenham and Redbridge.
The former Boro full-back has signed on a non-contract basis with the north London League Two outfit.
He is hoping to get match fit and catch the eye after a year without any competitive action.
And if he doesn’t win a deal with the Dagger she hopes to prove his fitness to other clubs.
His last start was a year ago yesterday when he featured in a 3-1 home defeat for Millwall, one of just three games he played for the Lions last term.
Hoyte, now 30, had a month long spell training with Burton Albion earlier this season but didn’t do enough for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to offer a deal.
But he hopes that a spell with the Daggers will help him get back into the groove.
Daggers boss Wayne Burnett told the club’s official website: “Justin has been training with us for three weeks now.
“He’s a player with vast experience, has played at the top level and will bring something to our group for sure.
“All credit to him because he’s a great person and he wants to continue to succeed.”
Hoyte is set to make his debut on Saturday against Mansfield.
It has been a swift fall from grace for Hoyte.
Gareth Southgate signed him from Arsenal for £3m to replace the departed Luke Young in August 2008 and he was a regular at the Riverside for almost six seasons, playing 152 times and scoring twice.
He took a pay-cut to stay and signed a new deal under Tony Mowbray in 2012 and had a solid season.
But the following summer Mowbray brought in Frazer Richardson and said they were open to offers fro the Trinidad and Tobago international.
In 2013-14 he played just four times before being farmed out on loan to Millwall, then under Steve Lomas.
But he played just four times before Lomas was axed and Ian Holloway arrived and pushed him to the fringes and he was released last summer.