Portsmouth have signed former Tottenham defender Ricardo Rocha on a free transfer.
Portuguese defender completes Fratton Park switch
Portsmouth have signed former Tottenham defender Ricardo Rocha on a free transfer.
The 31-year-old Portuguese centre-back has joined cash-strapped Pompey until the end of the season after leaving Belgian champions Standard Liege.
"It's very good for me to be back," he told Pompey's
official website.
"It will be good to be able to show everybody what I can do, and I want to prove it to myself and to the people of Portsmouth.
"But the most important thing is to help get Portsmouth away from the bottom."
Survival bid
Rocha, who featured in the UEFA Champions League this term, was allowed to join the Premier League basement boys outside the transfer window after his contract with Standard was terminated.
The experienced defender began his career in his homeland with Braga before joining Portuguese giants Benfica, where he became a regular at the Estadio da Luz and scored three goals in 162 appearances.
Rocha alerted the attention of Spurs in 2007 and they brought the former Portugal international to England where he made 18 appearances during two-and-a-half years in North London before moving to Standard last summer.
And the experienced stopper has vowed to do everything in his power to help keep Avram Grant's side in the top flight this season.
"I know from our position in the league that we are struggling a little bit now, but I know that everybody is doing their best to get out of this situation and I'm here to help the team to achieve that goal."
