Champions League winner Wes Brown trains with Macclesfield

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Former Manchester United defender links up with Steve Bruce's son Alex
Shay Given's Stoke City contract expired and he is now training with the Silkmen
Assistant manager is Steve Watson who played with Given at Newcastle United

By Carl Markham, Press Association Sport

Published: 08:33 EDT, 13 July 2017 | Updated: 10:05 EDT, 13 July 2017

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Former Premier League stars Wes Brown, Shay Given and Alex Bruce are training with Vanarama National League side Macclesfield.

All three live locally and have joined the Silkmen, who finished ninth in the table and were FA Trophy finalists at Wembley, for pre-season to maintain their fitness levels and undertake some coaching.

This summer ex-Manchester United and Sunderland defender Brown - who won the Champions League in 2008 and also has a medal from 1999 - was released by Blackburn.

Former Sunderland and Manchester United defender Wes Brown is training with the Silkmen

Shay Given, diving in on Manchester City's Kelechi Iheanacho, has left Stoke City

The former Republic of Ireland, Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa goalkeeper Given's contract expired with Stoke and Bruce - son of Villa manager Steve - was let go by Hull.

'It says a lot about the football club that they came in to training one day, and then came in the next and the next,' manager John Askey said at the club's kit launch.

Assistant boss Steve Watson, who played with Given at Newcastle, added: 'Wes and Alex are doing their coaching badges so helped to run a session whilst Shay has been taking the goalkeepers.'

Steve Bruce's son Alex is training at Moss Rose with fifth tier outfit Macclesfield Town

It is understood the trio are not on trial - although the club are currently working with a number of other trialists - and the nature of their arrangement is informal.

Macclesfield, who currently have just one goalkeeper registered, host SkyBet Championship side Derby in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.