Trotters confirm Warnock deal

Stephen Warnock: Has joined Championship side Bolton on a three-month loan deal

Bolton have confirmed the signing of Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock on a three-month loan.

The former Liverpool defender was out of favour at Villa Park following the arrival of new boss Paul Lambert in the summer.

The 30-year-old had been training with the youth team in recent weeks and was close to a move to Bolton on deadline day, but a deal failed to materialise.

However, Wanderers boss Owen Coyle has retained an interest in the full-back, moving quickly to seal a loan deal until the end of the year.

"Stephen is a player that I have always liked and one that can play in a number of positions, which is very important in the Championship," he told the club's official website.

"We tried to get him to the club before the summer transfer deadline but it never came to fruition, so I'm delighted that we have now been able to bring him in.

"He has a terrific pedigree and has moved for large sums of money in his career, so we know his quality.

"He has the right character and it's important that we bring those attributes into the group. He ticks all the boxes and when I spoke to him you could tell how keen he was to come here.

"I have to say there was a lot of competition for his signature. We beat off a host of clubs in the Championship, so we are delighted to get him in."