London side Fulham have signed Irish international Damien Duff from Newcastle United for a fee believed to be about £4m.
The 30-year-old joins the Cottagers on a deal believed to match his Newcastle wages of £60,000 per week.
He began his career with Blackburn Rovers, where his new boss Roy Hodgson handed him his first start, where his pace and trickery on the wing led to an £17m move to Stamford Bridge in 2003, where he flourished in partnership with Adrian Mutu before the Irishman suffered injury problems as Mutu fell foul of drugs charges.
Fulham’s website quotes the winger: “I am happy that my move to Fulham has been completed and look forward to joining in with the rest of the squad’s training programme immediately, in preparation for two important home matches this week.
“Fulham had a fantastic season last year and I know that having spoken to the manager in recent days that the Club’s ambitions remain high and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Roy Hodgson added: “I am delighted to add a player of Damien Duff’s calibre to our squad, and welcome the further midfield options he provides us with. I have known Damien for over a decade since he broke into the first team at Blackburn when I was manager, so I’m fully aware of his qualities and I am looking forward to working with him again.”
The move is sure to delight Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni who will no doubt want his bigger and more experienced stars to be exposed to regular first-team football at the highest level.