TRINIDAD & Tobago international Silvio Spann could well become the missing piece in manager Brian Carey's summer transfer dealings.

The midfielder has been a target for Wrexham for sometime and after several pre-season trials with Premiership side Sunderland and Sheffield United in the Championship, he is now just looking for a club to start playing football again.

Before he gets that chance, there is still a mountain of paperwork to be worked through, not least getting an agreement with the player, his current club and then a work permit!

Silvio joined the players at their team hotel in Darlington and then watched today's match from the Directors Box at the TFM Arena.

He is still under contract with W Connection in Trinidad, although that deal runs out this Christmas.

The player would appear to qualify for a UK work permit, which requires participation in 75% of his country's matches over the last two years or medical reasons why games were missed.

Unfortunately, Silvio lost out on a trip to the World Cup Finals last summer, due to a hamstring injury picked up whilst training at Carden Park with the T&T squad prior to travelling onto Germany. He then suffered a shoulder injury before last winter's Caribe Cup.

He has through played in all but one of Trinidad's remaining games, including the recent Gold Cup Finals in the United States.

"I have looked around Wrexham for myself and the club comes very highly recommended to me by both Carlos Edwards and Dennis Lawrence," said Silvio.

"It was a shame for me that my two trials didn't quite work out, but if I have to go in a circle to reach the top, then I will be very happy to come to Wrexham.

"Carlos and Dennis have not suffered by playing their football here and already I'm starting to feel at home."

For those of you who would like to see his fantastic long-range goal in the 2007 Gold Cup against El Salvador in Los Angles, then check out 'You Tube'.

SocaWarriors.net had the following to say about the player:

Silvio Spann became the first Caribbean and T&T player to ever gain a contract playing in Italy and Japan respectively. Silvio, the son of former T&T legend "Leroy Spann". Silvio is a very hard working midfielder who can also attack or defend well. On the pitch, Spann oozes charisma. Calm on the ball, precise and unfussy in his movements while also blessed with a strong right foot.

Spann was loaned from Perugia to an Italian Third division club Sambenedettese FC in January 2002, in order to play first team football. When his contract expired with Perugia, his local club at the time W Connection's chairman David John Williams revealed that negotiations broke down between the T&T champs and the Italian club side.

W Connection was not satisfied with the financial offer that Perugia made for Silvio so they decided on keeping him in Trinidad instead. In February 2004, Spann had a trial spell with German club Borussia M'Gladbach but the deal fell through because of personal reasons. He then had further trial spells with English teams Crystal Palace and Derby County but lack of international caps restricted his chances of obtaining a work permit to play in England.

During the 2004 Olympic qualification games in Mexico, the T&T under-23 team captain (Spann) was named on the CONCACAF 2004 under-23 Pre-Olympic Qualification All-Tournament 'honourable mention' team (2004 Concacaf final 18 man all stars-team).

In the 2007 Gold Cup vs El Salvador Spann scored a contender for goal of the tournament with a 40-yard free kick. Also in that game Spann managed to hit the woodwork after beating the El Salvadorian keeper from a direct corner kick. His goal did however got him Gol-TV Canada, Goal of Tournament. After the 2007 Gold Cup Spann was offered trials with both Sheffield United and Premiership side Sunderland.