Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert was in a buoyant mood after bringing in Grant Holt on loan.
The former Norwich City captain, who worked closely with Lambert at Carrow Road, has landed at Villa Park from Wigan Athletic for the remainder of the season and the boss of the West Midlands club was delighted to secure his services.
"Losing Libor (Kozak to a broken leg) was a blow to us, obviously. When I knew Grant had become available it was something I wanted to pursue quickly because he'll add strength and experience to what is still a young squad overall," he told the club's official website of the 32-year old.
"Having worked with him for three years at Norwich, I know what he can do and that's important.
"Coming back into the Premier League will rekindle that desire in him to succeed again at this level and, if he can replicate what he did in those three years at Norwich over these next few months here at Villa, then he'll make an impact, that's for sure.
"Grant's got some really strong attributes, he's someone who is tried and trusted and a player I've worked with before. We're looking at one or two other positions as well but this is good business for us and he'll be a really strong influence."
