Former Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard has helped to save non-league club Dagenham and Redbridge.
Dagenham - who play in the National League - had appealed for help to raise over £100,000 to save the club after they fell into financial difficulties, and Howard, who currently plays for Colorado Rapids, is now leading the consortium, Victoria LLC, buying the club.
“We are very pleased to announce that Victoria Road Football, LLC, an American entity, have completed the purchase of the majority of the shares in the football club," read a statement.
“This deal sees Dagenham & Redbridge FC Ltd, which is the Full Members company limited by guarantee, retain their portion of Dagenham & Redbridge FC 2017 Ltd while Directors David Bennett and Stephen Thompson also retain their original holdings of the club.
“Whilst this process has been progressing, the club has been limited to what it was able to announce due to confidentiality, but it did ensure that the Full Members Director was kept advised at each stage.
“The new consortium, Victoria Road Football, LLC is a company led by Peter B. Freund, Craig Unger and former Premier League goalkeeper, Tim Howard. The group has already had a successful launch of professional soccer in Memphis, TN with the United Soccer League’s Memphis 901 FC, a division II club.
“Peter and Craig’s many years of operational experience, both owning and operating professional sports franchises throughout North America, and Tim Howard, with his expansive career in English football playing in the Premier League for 13 years with Everton and Manchester United, will seamlessly compliment the Dagenham & Redbridge management already in place.”
Manager Peter Taylor has been assured that he will remain in place, as they bid to survive in the fifth tier of English football.
Dagenham have lost six of their opening 10 games, winning just two, and sit 21st out of 24 clubs.
Howard, meanwhile, has won 121 caps for the United States, and has also played for Everton.