Former Sheffield United, Portsmouth and Stoke City defender training with Chesterfield

The 34-year-old can be seen in a video released by the club of the squad being put through their paces ahead of the new League Two campaign, which starts on August 2.

The left-back is a free agent after being released by Stoke City at the end of last season. The Republic of Ireland international has made more than 500 appearances across a 17-year career. He played 18 times for the Potters in the Championship last term.

Stevens knows Paul Cook from their time at Portsmouth, where they won the League Two title together in 2017, and the defender was named in the PFA Team of the Year and he won Pompey’s player of the year award. Stevens also won promotion to the Premier League twice with the Blades, making more than 60 outings in the top-flight.

Speaking about Cook in an interview in 2018, Stevens said: “Paul Cook sat me down and said ‘I want you doing this and I don’t want you doing this’. I won’t say any more! He was excellent, he leaves all egos ­outside the door. He makes you work as hard as you can and it’s the fittest I have been and my football benefited from it. It was my last-chance saloon, definitely. If it didn’t work out there, I don’t know where I would have been. He knew what I could do in the league.”

It remains to be seen whether Stevens is just training with Chesterfield for fitness or if he is trying to earn himself a deal. If all goes well then Stevens could link-up with his former United team-mate John Fleck at the Blues.

Town already have two left-backs on the books in Lewis Gordon and new signing Adam Lewis but Stevens has also played left-sided centre-back and further forward during his career.

Chesterfield play their first pre-season friendly this Saturday at Matlock Town (3pm).