Will Grigg swaps EFL for managerless National League side

Will Grigg has completed a free transfer from Chesterfield to Forest Green Rovers, signing a deal that runs until the end of the 2027/28 season. The 35‑year‑old former EFL striker joins the managerless National League outfit after mutually terminating his contract.

Free move and contract terms

The transfer was confirmed as a free deal, with Grigg’s contract at Chesterfield being ripped up by mutual consent. His new agreement runs to June 2028, giving the 35‑year‑old three years of security at the National League club. Forest Green Rovers will operate without a permanent manager following Robbie Savage’s departure.

Career highlights and Chesterfield record

Best known for a three‑and‑a‑half‑year spell at Wigan, Grigg scored 65 goals and helped lift two League One titles. He joined Chesterfield in 2023 and contributed 24 goals to secure the club’s National League title and promotion to the EFL.

Across the next two League Two campaigns he added 15 goals, but his game time dwindled, resulting in just two cameo appearances this term. The Northern Ireland international, capped 13 times, was omitted from the 1‑1 draw with Colchester on Tuesday night – the tenth time he had been left out this season.

Forest Green Rovers' situation

Forest Green Rovers sit 16th in the National League and could field Grigg in their Saturday trip to Barrow. With no manager in place, owner Dale Vince has appointed a coaching trio – Jonathan Gould, Josh Bowen and Yan Klukowski – to handle day‑to‑day decisions.

Grigg announced his departure from Chesterfield on the club’s website, saying: “It’s been a pleasure to represent this club… It is a special club with incredible people working hard every day to be successful.” He added that dropping down a division was a personal decision he has not regretted.

The striker’s Instagram account @fgrfc_official confirmed the move, and he had previously been linked with a switch to Shrewsbury Town in August. Over his career he has amassed 192 goals and made more than 500 English Football League appearances for clubs including Walsall, Brentford, MK Dons, Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Rotherham United.

Grigg’s free transfer underlines a growing trend of experienced EFL players moving to lower‑tier sides that operate without a traditional manager. Such deals allow clubs to add quality while keeping wage bills modest, a model that may become more common in the National League.