Matt Jansen will not rejoin non-league Wrexham as the former Premier League striker has signed for Unibond Premier League side Leigh Genesis.
The 31-year-old turned down offers from other clubs to join the team managed by one-time team-mate Garry Flitcroft.
The ex-Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers player enjoyed a brief spell at Blue Square Premier side Wrexham last season before injury.
Jansen said: "I want to get to the next chapter in my life."
Jansen - who played three games for Wrexham before suffering a knee injury that required surgery - hopes to start his coaching career at Leigh as part of Flitcroft's backroom team.
The former England under-21 international began his career with his hometown club Carlisle before joining Crystal Palace for £1m in 1998.
A £4.1m move to Blackburn Rovers followed 12 months later, scoring on his debut against Tottenham Hotspur in January 1999.
Jansen's career declined after a serious motorcycle accident in Rome during the summer of 2002 in which he suffered a brain haemorrhage and fell into a coma.
After returning to the game in 2003, Jansen had spells with Coventry City and Bolton Wanderers.
He joined the Blue Square Premier Dragons in March 2009 and made his debut that month - almost three years after his previous competitive appearance.
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