Cats sign defender Kyrgiakos (From The Northern Echo)

Cats sign defender Kyrgiakos

7:05pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Sunderland AFC News By Richard Mason, Sports Writer/Sub-Editor

SUNDERLAND have made their second transfer deadline day signing by bringing in Wolfsburg defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos until the end of the season.

The 32 year-old, who left Liverpool for the Volkswagen Arena in the summer, has followed Wayne Bridge to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill said: “Sotirios offers a real physical presence, coupled with a wealth of experience, which will be an undoubted benefit to us in the next few months. I’m delighted to welcome him to the club and I’m sure he is looking forward to the challenge of returning to the Premier League.”

Kyrgiakos began his career with Athens side Panathinaikos, spending two of his initial seven years in Greek football on loan at Agios Nikolaos.

After sealing the Greek domestic double with Panathinaikos in 2004, the 6ft 4in defender moved to Rangers in January 2005 where he would pick up both an SPL winners’ medal and a Scottish League Cup winners’ medal in his first season – scoring twice in the final.

With his Gers contract expiring, Kyrgiakos moved to German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt in summer 2006, spending two years with Die Adler before returning to the Greek capital for a season with AEK Athens.

He returned to Britain by joining Liverpool in summer 2009, making 30 league appearances for the Reds before a second spell in Germany began at Wolfsburg last summer.