Championship club West Brom have announced the short term signature of former Irish international Wes Hoolahan.
The 36-year-old had been on trial with the Baggies, and now the club have taken him up on a deal which is set to run until January, with the option to extend at the end of that period.
Manager Darren Moore told the club's official website that it wasn't a hard decision to welcome the Norwich legend on board:
In the end, it wasn’t a difficult decision because Wes’s quality was there for all to see and he brings great experience and greater options to our group. We had a look at him over three or four days. He is a great pro and I think everyone knows the quality he possesses. He gives us more depth and fantastic experience.
The agreement is short term but there is the potential for Wes to stay longer if things work out. I’m delighted to get him here. We’ve got seven games in 21 days in October and we are going to have to manage the squad to cope with the demands of that schedule. Every single player will be important to us.
Moore also made a point of Hoolahan's age, stating that although the midfielder is getting on, he has no worries about the Dubliner's ability to perform on the pitch:
I know that when people hear about players arriving in their mid-30s they have a perception of that player being past their best. I believe that thinking has got to change. I know what it’s like to play into my mid-30s and the areas of sports science and medicine have developed even further since my day. I can tell you these guys now in their mid-30s are in great shape and can still handle the physicality.
I’ve got no concerns about Wes on that score. He will get even better with game time but in terms of his general fitness he has satisfied all our demands.
