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Associated Press

Once rated as the next best thing, ex-United youngster Kiko Macheda has contract terminated

The Italian striker had been with Cardiff since 2014.

ITALIAN STRIKER FEDERICO MACHEDA is on the lookout for a new club after his Cardiff contract was terminated by mutual consent.

The 25-year-old had been with the Welsh club since 2014 and finished his debut season in the Championship with six goals.

But, having made no league start in the 2015-2016 campaign, he joined Nottingham Forest on loan.

He made just three appearances for them, though, and returned to Cardiff for pre-season but was not included in Cardiff’s touring party for their trip to Germany.

Macheda was told he could leave the club in late-July.

The former Manchester United striker had an astounding start to his senior career at Old Trafford, memorably coming on as a substitute to make his debut with the club trailing Aston Villa in 2009.

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Cristiano Ronaldo conjured an equaliser before Macheda, then only 17, turned brilliantly in injury time before curling a superb strike inside the far post to give United a crucial victory on their way to the title.

Macheda scored against Sunderland in the club’s next fixture too but would never reach the same dizzying heights again.

There were two more senior goals – against Chelsea and Villa again – but by the second half of the 2010/2011 season, he was back in Italy and on loan with Sampdoria.

From there, it was a litany of temporary stops: QPR, Stuttgart, Doncaster and Birmingham before signing for Cardiff.

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