Doncaster Rovers manager Darren Moore has suggested that he will not elect to give a contract to striker Victor Anichebe unless he can prove his fitness, with the 31-year-old currently training with the club as he looks to resurrect his career.

Anichebe has a wealth of experience playing at Premier League level, having had spells at Everton, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland, racking up over 200 club appearances despite having struggled with injury problems throughout his career.

The 31-year-old would be a useful addition to Doncaster's squad, with the ability to offer something different to Rovers' other attacking options and having the strengthen and power to make him a real potential threat at League 1 level, but Moore's side will first need to ensure he is fit enough to play matches for them.

Anichebe has been without a club since leaving Chinese club Beijing Enterprise, and the forward will be keen to earn a contract at Doncaster to get back to playing as he enters what will be the final few years of his career.

Speaking to the Doncaster Free Press about the potential nearing of a contract offer for Anichebe from Doncaster, Moore suggested he will not earn one until he proves his match fitness, saying: "You’d want to get it those levels where he’s got games under his belt. Match fitness is a completely different thing.

"People can see you in training but when you're on the football pitch, sprinting, changing directions and repeating it over and over again, your body has to be conditioned to it.
"Potentially you can do anything with anybody. We'll wait and see. He's got to up it and get it higher." The Verdict Moore is right to be wanting Anichebe to prove his match fitness before he elects to offer him a permanent deal with the club, and the fact he is saying this suggests that Doncaster could well be wanting to test him out in some behind closed doors matches in the next few weeks to assess his fitness. Anichebe would be a potentially very good addition to the Doncaster squad, as Moore's side look to build on a positive start to the season and sustain a play-off challenge as they did last season, and having an extra threat to come of the bench like the Nigerian would only enhance Rovers' ability to both hold onto leads and chase games when behind. The forward, though, has always struggled to stay fully fit throughout his career and it will therefore be interesting to see whether Moore decides he is ready to play apart for Rovers this season, after seeing him in some behind closed door games.