Blues have signed Newcastle and England midfielder Nicky Butt on a season-long loan deal.

The 30-year-old's move to St. Andrew's is with a view to a permanent £2 million transfer at the end of the season.

Butt has been at St James' Park for just 12 months having moved to the North East from Manchester United in a £2m deal in the summer of 2004.

His only goal in his 27 appearances for Newcastle last season came in the 2-2 draw against Blues at St. Andrew's in October 2004.

Prior to joining Newcastle, Butt had spent almost 12 years at Old Trafford, where he played alongside Blues boss Steve Bruce in Alex Ferguson's all-conquering side of the 1990's.

He boasts winners' medals from the Championship, FA Cup and Champions League among his collection.

The Manchester-born player has 39 England caps to his name, with his last outing for the Three Lions coming against Spain in November 2004.

He is best known as a defensive midfielder.

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With the addition of Butt joining other new boys Mikael Forssell and Mehdi Nafti - and the transfer of striker Walter Pandiani also likely to go through by the end of this week - Steve Bruce's squad is shaping up well for what promises to be an exciting season at St. Andrew's. It's not too late to guarantee your seat for every home game by purchasing a season ticket. Click HERE for full details or phone 0871 226 1875.