Sotirios Kyrgiakos joins Sunderland on loan for season

Sunderland have further bolstered their defensive options with the loan signing of Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos from Wolfsburg until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old, who left Liverpool for the Volkswagen Arena in summer 2011, is Martin O’Neill’s second acquisition of the January transfer window following Tuesday’s arrival of Wayne Bridge.

Sunderland manager O’Neill said: “Sotirios offers a real physical presence, coupled with a wealth of experience, which will be an undoubted benefit to us in the next few months.

“I’m delighted to welcome him to the club and I’m sure he is looking forward to the challenge of returning to the Premier League.”

Kyrgiakos began his career with Athens side Panathinaikos, spending two of his initial seven years in Greek football on loan at Agios Nikolaos.

After sealing the Greek domestic double with Panathinaikos in 2004, the 6ft 4in defender moved to Rangers in January 2005 where he picked up both an SPL winners’ medal and a Scottish League Cup winners’ medal in his first season – scoring twice in the final.

Kyrgiakos then moved to German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt in summer 2006, spending two years with Die Adler before returning to the Greek capital for a season with AEK Athens.

He returned to Britain by joining Liverpool in summer 2009, making 30 league appearances for the Reds before a second spell in Germany began at Wolfsburg last summer.

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