Former Sunderland and Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham has joined Crawley Town on a short-term deal.
The Red Devils currently sit rock bottom of League Two and find themselves three points from safety following a difficult start to the season.
Colin Kazim-Richards was sacked last month after a dismal spell that saw the club pick up just five points from a possible 36 but there have been encouraging signs since Kevin Blackwell took the reins on an interim basis.
A 1-1 draw with Tranmere Rovers last month was followed by just the club's second win of the season as they bested Oldham Athletic prior to the international break.
With momentum seemingly on their side, Crawley have moved to bolster their ranks and on Tuesday they had signed Wickham as a free agent until the end of January.
Still just 33, Wickham has been without a club since the end of last season following a brief stint with Dubai City in the UAE First Division.
The former England youth international made history when he became Ipswich's youngest-ever player in 2009 before making the move to the Premier League with Sunderland two years later.
In all, Wickham would make 91 appearances for the Black Cats in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and playing a crucial role in the club avoiding relegation in 2013/14 before moving on to Palace where a slew of injuries would ultimately derail his burgeoning career.
He later turned out for Preston North End, MK Dons, Forest Green Rovers, Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic before making a move to the Gulf state.
In addition to Wickham Crawley also announced the capture of former Plymouth Argyle midfielder Ayman Benarous - also on a short term deal.
It is expected that the pair will be in contention to feature when Crawley go in search of their first home win of the season when they welcome Fleetwood Town to the Broadfield Stadium on 21 November.
