Bolton Wanderers have completed the signing of former Stoke City midfielder Stephen Ireland, the club have confirmed.

The 32-year-old’s four-and-a-half year stint with the Potters ended in the summer after his contract expired at the Bet365 Stadium, and now links up with Phil Parkinson’s men on a short-term deal.

The Irishman has made over 300 career appearances with a large majority of those coming in the top flight, and could be a very important player for Bolton once he regains match fitness.

Trotters’ boss Parkinson recently spoke about his new signing, saying that he’s “sure he will make a positive contribution”.

“Although he's got a bit to do in terms of match fitness, we've got a lot of games coming up”, Parkinson added.

Wanderers sit 16th in the Championship table after four wins, three draws and five defeats after twelve league outings.

The Verdict

This has come out of nowhere, but Ireland could be a very good player for Bolton after doing well in his career for the likes of Manchester City, Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

The only downside is that he hasn’t played a lot of football in recent times, so it may take a lot of time to get him back what he once was in his prime.