Stoke complete Beattie deal
13 Jan 2009 - 07:37:51
Stoke City have completed the signing of James Beattie from Sheffield United for a fee which could eventually rise to £3.5million.
Beattie, 30, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at the Britannia Stadium and is the second player to join the Potters in the January transfer window.
Last week, manager Tony Pulis added winger Matthew Etherington from West Ham United to his squad.
Beattie has previously played in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, Southampton and Everton and Pulis is delighted to have secured the services of a striker with plenty of top-flight experience.
"James is a player who has an absolutely phenomenal goalscoring record and I am delighted to have him here," he told the club's official website.
"He has averaged more than a goal every other game for Sheffield and he has a proven record of scoring in the top-flight. He is someone I have admired for a very, very long time.
"We have signed two fantastic players in Matthew Etherington and James Beattie, but we are still looking for two or three more before the closure of the window."
The striker, who has been capped five times by England, is also pleased to be back in the top-flight after 18 months in the Championship.
"I'm very thankful to Stoke for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premier League again and pit my wits against some of the top teams in Europe," said Beattie.
"Hopefully I can help the club stay up, it's what I've come here to do. If the club didn't have high expectations of staying up I wouldn't have signed.
"We know the situation the club is in and I'm prepared to role my sleeves up and fight like every one else."