Edmund Hottor: From AC Milan to St Ives Town and FA Cup qualifying

Edmund Hottor (right) said training with Brazilian great Ronaldinho was a good experience

A footballer who has shared a pitch with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo hopes to get his seventh tier team to the FA Cup first round for the first time.

Edmund Hottor will line up for Cambridgeshire side St Ives Town as they host FC Halifax Town in the competition's fourth qualifying round.

The 29-year-old was previously signed by both AC and Inter Milan.

He said St Ives "accepted me and brought me in with open arms".

Hottor, originally from Ghana, started his career in the Italian second tier - Serie B - at Triestina, where he signed his first professional contract at 17.

A year later, he was signed by AC Milan and spent six years on the books of the seven-time European champions without making a senior appearance.

Edmund Hottor now plays for St Ives Town in the Southern League Premier Division Central

But during that time he was trained alongside the likes of Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho and Pirlo, as well as Robinho and Thiago Silva.

He said it was a "very good experience, having to share the pitch with all these big names you learn a lot".

After being loaned to three lower league Italian clubs, he then signed for Inter Milan, where he left without making a senior appearance.

Having also played in Portugal and Malta, Hottor arrived in England in 2018, turning out for Kettering Town and Banbury United before signing for St Ives, who play in Southern League Premier Division Central, in December 2019.

Edmund Hottor said there was a "great bond" between players like Robinho (left) and the second team players such as him

He said: "I wouldn't take anything away from the journey I had, I enjoyed every experience playing professionally before coming here.

"I enjoy playing football regardless of the level."

He is hoping to help the club beat Halifax, who play in the National League, two levels above St Ives.

Hottor said: "The FA Cup is massive, it's a big deal, the club has already made history by reaching this round, we want to continue building that history, this is another big game."

Ricky Marheineke, manager of St Ives, said the FA Cup was known for upsets as his side prepare to take on Halifax who are two leagues higher

His manager Ricky Marheineke said Hottor was a "big figure the players look up to".

"He's been training with Pirlo and Maldini, and Ronaldinho, and now he's at [St Ives home ground] Westwood Road training on a cold Tuesday night and playing teams like Redditch and Leiston," he said.

But Marheineke added: "We've got a whole team who've got interesting stories and hopefully they'll be able to pull on the experiences they've had in their careers so far."