Kirkland secures Baggies loan deal

Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has sealed a season-long loan move to West Brom after successfully coming through a two-week trial.

Baggies boss Bryan Robson had been keen to assess Kirkland’s fitness and has now been convinced that the 24-year-old is ready to mount a serious challenge for a first-team place.

Kirkland joined Liverpool from Coventry four years ago, for £6m (€8.7m), but injuries and the form of Jerzy Dudek limited his first-team opportunities. A back injury kept him out of action for much of last season.

The arrivals of Scott Carson and Jose ‘Pepe’ Reina this year further hindered his hopes of regular first-team football at Anfield.

He has been warned not to expect automatic selection at West Brom either, with Russell Hoult and Tomasz Kuszczak already at the club.

“Chris is a very talented keeper but he’s got stiff competition here,” Baggies assistant boss Nigel Pearson told www.wba.co.uk.

“I’m delighted for him because he’s had a tough time with injuries and I know what that can be like.

“He’s desperate for a run of games but he’ll have to fight hard to get them.”