Sorensen: I always thought Villa was a good club

Aston Villa's newest recruit, Thomas Sorensen, has told of his relief that his transfer has finally been completed.

It's taken just over a week for discussions to be completed, with Sorensen apparently holding out for a loyalty payment in the region of £500,000 from Sunderland who are struggling with debts in the region of £25m - but Villa confirmed to the London Stock Exchange earlier today that the transfer had finally been concluded.

Sorensen said tonight, "I'm just glad to be here at last - this is a big move for me.

"I had five very good seasons at Sunderland and that’s why I’m here today. I was looking for a new challenge and I always thought – even in my days back in Denmark – that Aston Villa was a good club. Now I’m very happy to be joining.

And Thomas revealed his feelings about Sunderland's relegation and his ambition to remain a Premiership player. "I feel I belong at the highest level. Obviously it was sad what happened at Sunderland, but I’m looking to improve all the time and I needed to be playing on a bigger stage. It was very important for me to remain in the Premiership. "

Villa's new keeper will link up with his former Sunderland colleague Gavin McCann, who signed for the Villans on 24th July and immediately made an impact in Villa's pre-season programme. Sorensen said, "It will be nice to see Gavin. I’ve heard that he’s done really well in his first couple of games and he’s a good player. So it hasn’t come as a surprise to hear that he’s done well.

"It has all been a bit hectic, but I’m just glad that I’m here in time to get a few games in before the season starts."