Shildon have signed a player who was once regarded as the Most Valuable Player at his US College.

The Railwaymen have signed central defender Chris Hunter, who came through the Chester-le-Street youth system before going to the USA on a soccer scholarship in 2007.

He spent two years at Yavapai College in Arizona, whom he led to several honours both nationally and regionally, and he was voted the Most Valuable Player of the NJCAA Regional Championships in 2008.

After that, he moved on to the University of Santa Barbara in California, and was offered a trial by former Ipswich striker Paul Mariner, now in charge of Toronto in Canada.

However, he failed to break into Major League Soccer, and his sociology studies completed, he has now returned to the north east.