Newcastle sign Stephen Ireland on loan from Aston Villa
Ireland joined Villa from Manchester City for £8m last summer
Newcastle have completed the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland on loan until the end of the season.
The 24-year-old becomes Magpies manager Alan Pardew's second signing of the transfer window after Hatem Ben Arfa completed a permanent move.
Ireland, who has failed to rediscover his best form since his move to Villa from Manchester City last summer, could make his debut at Fulham on Wednesday.
The most recent of his 12 appearances for Villa came on 6 December.
His first game for Villa was against Newcastle at St James' Park on 22 August, a game which he will not remember fondly as the Magpies eased to a 6-0 win.
It was thought that the deal had fallen through after complications emerged over his medical, but Alan Pardew was delighted to announce the deal.
"Stephen has shown over the past few seasons that he's a real top player so we're really pleased to have got him until the end of the season," Pardew told Newcastle's official website.
"I think Stephen feels he can deliver more than he's shown at Villa so he has got a point to prove. He can create chances for others and score goals himself," said Pardew.
"We think he can be a big factor for us in the second part of this season."
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Bookmark with:
What are these?