Sunderland have signed veteran defender Joleon Lescott on a free transfer, the club announced earlier today. The centre-half, who has been capped by England 26 times, joins on a short-term deal which lasts until the end of the season.
The Black Cats are currently bottom of the Premier League table and have not won a game in all competitions since the 17th of December. They have struggled to create and score chances—another England veteran, Jermain Defoe, has scored 12 out of his side’s 20 goals in the league this season—but their main problem has been giving away cheap goals and manager David Moyes will be looking to his first signing of the January transfer window to sort things out at the back.
Lescott, 34, had been a free agent since November after his contract at Greek side AEK Athens was terminated by mutual consent. He played just four games for the club. He has spoken of his delight to return to the league in which he has made 286 appearances:
“I think any player at any stage of their career wants to play in the Premier League and I’m no different. I went out there (Greece) for a different experience and it’s not one I’ll be looking back on fondly but I’m delighted to be back.”
Lescott and Moyes worked together at Everton for four years between 2006 and 2010, before the defender moved to Manchester City in a deal worth over £20million. There, he won two league titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup. He does, however, have experience at the other end of the Premier League table, following stints in consecutive seasons at West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa, the latter of which ended in his side’s relegation to the Championship. He will be hoping for a different outcome at his new club.
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