Hjelde returns to Forest

Central defender Jon Olav Hjelde has signed a 12-month contract with Nottingham Forest.

Hjelde, who made 175 appearances for the City Ground club between 1997 and 2003, has agreed terms with manager Joe Kinnear having spent the last two weeks on trial following his departure from Korean outfit Busan Icons.

The Norwegian has been signed to help plug the central defensive gap caused by the absence of Michael Dawson, who has undergone surgery on a groin injury, and John Thompson who has suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Fellow centre-half Wes Morgan has also been ruled out through suspension.

Kinnear said: “There had been some concerns when Jon first joined us, in terms of his fitness level and the quality of his football – I don’t know what sort of football they play in Korea but you could tell he’d not been playing in England.

“However, his fitness and his overall sharpness have got better and better and I saw enough to convince me he was worthy of a contract.”