Former Arsenal goalkeeper, Reice Charles-Cook, has signed a contract with Superliga side Sønderjyske until the end of the calendar year.

The 24-year-old signed his first professional contract with Arsenal back in 2012 but was released just one year later after 12 years with the club.

He will fight with German Sebastian Mielitz for the number one shirt after the club ended the contract of goalkeeper Lukas Fernandes in recent weeks.

Since leaving Arsenal, Charles-Cook has played for Bury, Coventry, Nuneaton, and Swindon Town.

Charles-Cook could make his debut for the Danish side as early as this Friday when they face Vejle at home.

“After Arsenal, it was hard for me to find a club,” Charles-Cook said in 2015. “I had to go a training camp with Fred Barber, who’s an unbelievable goalkeeping coach, and has brought through the likes of Ali Al-Habsi, Adam Bogdan and Jussi Jaaskelainen. I went to his training camp because my agent was struggling, because the reports they were getting from Arsenal was not to touch me with a barge pole. Then Fred got a new job at Bury, and brought me along to Bury with him. 

“I then went to Bury, and going from Arsenal to Bury in League 2 is a mad reality check, like a punch in the face almost.

“From having everything giving to you on a silver plate to something so different is nuts to deal with. When I was at Bury, we had to train in the park, which was 800 yards from the ground.

“Some days there was dog mess in the goalmouths and the reality check was mad. Going from hot food to sandwiches and things like that was tough, but Bury were class to me, giving me an apartment and looking after me well. Moving away from family was the hardest thing ever, but was a good learning curve.”