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Villa swoop to sign England striker Heskey

  • Story Highlights
  • Aston Villa have signed England striker Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletics
  • Heskey, 31, links up again with his former Leicester manager Martin O'Neill
  • Hull City smash their transfer record to sign Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard
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(CNN) -- Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa have secured the signing of England international striker Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic for a fee of £3.5 million ($4.8m) on a three-and-a-half year contract -- the official Villa Web site has confirmed.

Heskey has been re-united with former manager Martin O'Neill after signing for Aston Villa.

Heskey has been re-united with former manager Martin O'Neill after signing for Aston Villa.

The 31-year-old Heskey is Villa's first signing of the January transfer window and his arrival means he links-up once again with former manager Martin O'Neill, who first gave him his break at Leicester City.

"I am absolutely delighted to have signed Emile," O'Neill told the Web site. "He has been a brilliant player for a number of years and this is great news. It gives us all a big boost -- the football club, myself and the players."

Heskey added: "I am very excited. Villa are a big club. I am delighted to be here and can't wait to put on the Villa shirt."

Heskey, who is expected to make his debut for fourth-placed Villa against Portsmouth on Tuesday, would have been out of contract with Wigan at the end of the season, prompting the club to cash in now rather than possibly lose him for nothing in the summer.

Meanwhile, Wigan have moved quickly to fill the gap left by Heskey's departure, signing Middlesbrough striker Mido on loan until the end of the season.

Mido's arrival means he will be alongside good friend and Egyptian international team-mate Amr Zaki in the Wigan forward line.

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Elsewhere, on a busy day of English transfer activity, Premier League new boys Hull City have smashed their transfer record to sign Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard for a fee of £5 million ($6.85m)

The 30-year-old Bullard, who has appeared in a number of Fabio Capello's England squads without yet making his international debut, was linked with a number of bigger clubs.

However, Hull have nipped in to sign Bullard on a four-and-a-half year contract reputed to be worth a staggering £45,000-a-week ($62,000) to the player.

Elsewhere, Tottenham have confirmed they have released Spanish goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez from his contract with the club, allowing the 37-year-old to join Valencia in his native country.

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