Bolton Wanderers have signed out-of-favour Aston Villa full-back Stephen Warnock on a three-month loan deal.
The former England international has not featured in a competitive match for Villa since Paul Lambert's appointment as manager in the summer.
Trotters boss Owen Coyle was keen to recruit Warnock as competition for Marcos Alonso and has revealed that they weren't the only club interested in the 30-year-old.
"I have to say there was a lot of competition for his signature. We beat off a host of clubs in the Championship, so we are delighted to get him in," said Coyle.
"Stephen is a player that I have always liked and one that can play in a number of positions, which is very important in the Championship. We tried to get him to the club before the summer transfer deadline but it never came to fruition, so I'm delighted that we have now been able to bring him in.
"He has the right character and it's important that we bring those attributes into the group. He ticks all the boxes and when I spoke to him you could tell how keen he was to come here."
Warnock joined Villa from Blackburn Rovers in 2009 and has made over 100 appearances for the West Midlands outfit.
Joe Fish
