"He [Pennant] is quick and technically very gifted. He can have a go at defenders" - Tony Adams

Portsmouth have signed Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant on loan until the end of the season.

 

Manager Tony Adams is delighted to have concluded the short-term deal for the 26-year-old who is eligible for Saturday's FA Cup fourth round tie at home to Swansea City.

Adams said: "I have known him for a long time. We were together at Arsenal a long, long time ago. He was the new kid on the block and a very exciting prospect.

 
"He is quick and technically very gifted. He can have a go at defenders.


"I saw him play with Peter Crouch for Liverpool at Fulham last year and he was constantly getting past their left-back and getting crosses in for Crouchie.

"That's a good combination that I wanted to put back together.

"He is going to put some good crosses in and hopefully weigh in with a few goals himself."




Pennant, whose will be a free agent at the end of the season, reportedly attracted interest from Real Madrid and Pompey are delighted to have secured his services for the rest of the campaign.

Meanwhile executive chairman Peter Storrie also confirmed deals to sign old-boy Gary O'Neil and Valencia midfielder Edu are now "dead", while a move for Inter Milan's Patrick Vieira is unlikely to happen in the January transfer window.

He added: "Patrick is someone we would be very keen to bring here. 

"Obviously, he is very well known to Tony [Adams], but my understanding is that he's got an injury and that won't be possible in this window.

"With Gary O'Neil and Edu, the clubs changed their mind - there wasn't much we could do about that.

"As far as I understand, both of those deals are now dead."