After much speculation, Michael Bradley has been officially introduced as the newest Aston Villa player. The United States National Team midfielder had been rumored to be heading to Villa Park since Friday. He most recently had been playing in the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Official: Michael Bradley Joins Aston Villa, Stephen Ireland Bound For Newcastle
The news of the transfer comes at the same time as Stephen Ireland's move to Newcastle was confirmed. Villa hope that Bradley will be a greater success in the midfield than Ireland, who has rarely played since coming over from Manchester City in the summer.
In 19 Bundesliga matches with Mönchengladbach, Bradley scored three goals and had three assists. It wasn’t enough to keep them out of the relegation zone, where they are at the bottom of the Bundesliga table and six points shy of 17th.
“I am proud and thrilled and can’t wait to get going now,” the 23-year-old said in a statement issued by Aston Villa. “Everyone can see that Aston Villa that is a big club, a fantastic club, with tradition and great supporters. Over the past few years Villa have made big strides and are trying to challenge at the very top of the Premier League. I am excited to be part of that and I am excited to be here.
"Whether it's on Saturday against Fulham at Villa Park or the week after, I am excited to be here and ready to get going."
Villa manager Gerard Houllier praised Bradley for being a hard-worker, while still having a penchant for scoring goals. Bradley scored 11 goals in 81 Bundesliga matches. Bradley, the son of USMNT manager Bob Bradley, has been a highly sought commodity since impressing at the most recent World Cup where he helped guide his team to top of their group. He was previously believed to be heading to Turkish power Galatasaray. This will be his first tour of duty in the EPL after playing in MLS, the Eredivisie and the Bundesliga.
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