Forest sign Curtis

Nottingham Forest manager Gary Megson has completed the first permanent signing of his City Ground tenure by securing Portsmouth defender John Curtis on a free transfer.

The 26-year-old has agreed terms with the Reds until the end of the season and will go straight into the squad which travels to Rotherham on Saturday.

Curtis fell out of favour at Pompey where he managed to register just seven Premiership appearances having begun his career as a product of the Manchester United youth policy.

A £1.5m (€2.2m) move to Blackburn followed in the summer of 2000 before a free transfer to Leicester, where Curtis stayed for just six months prior to his release and a move to Fratton Park.

Earlier in the week, Forest sold central defender Michael Dawson and midfielder Andy Reid to Tottenham for £8m (€11.6m). Megson also saw his own approaches for West Brom defender Darren Moore and Rotherham keeper Mike Pollitt rebuffed.