Blades complete Ikeme deal

Loan signing to compete with Bunn for first-team place

Last updated: 26th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Blades complete Ikeme deal

Ikeme: Best of the bunch

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Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell hopes to have solved his goalkeeping crisis with the loan signing of Wolves' Carl Ikeme until the end of December.

The 23-year-old recently spent time at Charlton and has again been allowed to leave Premier League side Wolves where he has been unable to dislodge Wayne Hennessey.

Ikeme will be immediately available for Saturday's Championship trip to Bristol City and Blackwell is glad to have an option other than Blackburn's on-loan Mark Bunn.

The Blades have Ian Bennett recovering from a thumb injury, while Paddy Kenny is set to be out of action until April as he serves a drugs ban, and Justin Haber is on loan at Hungarian sister club Ferencvaros.

With that in mind, Blackwell told United's official website: "With Ian Bennett out for an indeterminate amount of time we had no other goalkeeper at the club apart from Mark Bunn.

"With seven games between now and the New Year I couldn't afford to go into that period without another one in.

"Goalkeeping coach Andy Leaning and I have watched him a couple of times recently and of the keepers available he came out top as far as we are concerned.

"He is involved straight away and I have told him and 'Bunny' that they have to fight out the No.1 spot and prove to me that they deserve it."