Blackburn Rovers have completed the loan signing of Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones.
The 29-year-old United States international, who has also made three appearances for the German national team, has not played a first-team game for Schalke since last November having fallen out of favour with Die Konigsblauen boss Felix Magath.
Jones was then forced to train with the reserve team in recent weeks as his future at the Veltins-Arena looked bleak, and he has now joined Rovers until the end of the season, with a view to making the deal permanent in the summer.
Blackburn manager Steve Kean told the club's official website: “He's a fantastic signing for us.
“Anybody who knows him as a player, he's a natural ball winner, he's a very good passer as well.
“He's got a fantastic engine, he can go box-to-box, he's a genuine all round midfield player.”
Jones becomes Kean’s second signing of the January transfer window, with the Rovers boss having also landed Manchester City forward Roque Santa Cruz, who left Blackburn for Eastlands in a £17.5m in 2009, on a temporary basis.