Downing completes Villa move

Winger passes medical and signs four-year contract

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 16th July 2009  

Downing completes Villa move

Downing: Signs four-year deal

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Aston Villa have confirmed that they have completed the signing of Stewart Downing on a four-year deal.

The winger arrives from Middlesbrough for a fee believed to be around the £12million mark.

The 24-year-old passed a medical on Thursday despite currently recovering from foot surgery over the summer.

Downing picked up the injury in the penultimate game of last season, against Villa, when he was on the receiving end of a Stiliyan Petrov tackle.

The England international is not expected to be fully fit until October but Villa manager Martin O'Neill has decided to move for the left-sider in any case.

Downing was always expected to leave the Riverside this summer, with Tottenham also said to be interested, but it is Villa who have won the race to snap up the wide-man.

O'Neill factor

The former Boro youngster stated that O'Neill played a major role in helping persuade him to join the club.

"When it became apparent that Villa were interested I was very excited," he told the club's official website.

"I wanted to come as soon as I met Martin O'Neill so I am delighted it's now sorted out.

"As soon as I spoke to the manager at the training ground, I wanted to play for Villa and I wanted to play for him.

"He has great ambition and wants to build a good squad to take the club forward. I want to be part of that.

"As an outsider looking in you could tell Villa were a club on the up. You can see a chairman and a manager who want to build great things.

"They have done that over the past few seasons, particularly by finishing sixth last time around which was great."

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