Wednesday 1 July 2015 13:41, UK
Bournemouth have completed the signing of French central defender Sylvain Distin.
The 37-year-old has joined the newly-promoted Cherries on a one-year deal after his contract with Everton expired.
Distin made 210 appearances for Everton after joining them from Portsmouth for a transfer fee of £5m in August 2009.
He won the FA Cup with Pompey in 2008 having previously played for Manchester City as well as spending a loan spell with Newcastle during his time with his first club Paris Saint-Germain.
Distin, who is Bournemouth’s sixth summer signing, will join up with his new team-mates for pre-season training this week and is looking forward to adding to his total of over 450 Premier League appearances.
He told the club’s official website: “There is a lot you can say about the Premier League but the most important thing is to live it, to be into it and that’s what’s going to happen to them.
“Everybody is going to have a different experience of it and everybody is going to have different expectations as well but the most important thing for them is to enjoy.
“It’s an amazing experience, it’s an amazing place to be and you just have to enjoy it. It’s amazing at my age to still be here - that’s going to be an amazing challenge as well.
“It’s a tough one, I’m fully aware of it, but very exciting and there’s no better place to be.”
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said: “I see Sylvain playing a similar role to the one Ian Harte played.
“Off the pitch, he is someone the younger players can turn to in times when they need to speak to someone who has seen it and done it.
"Ian was invaluable to us in that respect last season and the season before when he had experience in the Championship and no one else had.
“Sylvain now takes on that role and on the pitch I still think he has a huge amount to offer.
“He still has his athleticism and is technically very good. We are very pleased to have him.”
