Former England midfielder Joe Cole has prolonged his top-flight career by joining Aston Villa.
The Birmingham club, who flirted with relegation from the English Premier League, before finishing five points clear of the drop last season, announced on Tuesday that Cole had signed a two-year deal.
Former England midfielder Cole, 32, was a free agent after being released by West Ham last season.
Cole, who has also played for Chelsea and Liverpool, won 56 caps for England.
"It all happened really quickly, I got a call maybe a week or 10 days ago and it just felt like it was a really exciting place to come at this moment," he told AVTV, the club's in-house television station.
Cole becomes Villa's second pre-season signing after former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos arrived last week.
Villa manager Paul Lambert is looking to revamp his squad despite the uncertainty caused by US-based owner Randy Lerner's announcement last month that he wants to sell the club.
Fans of the Midlands club - champions of England in 1981 and European Cup winners a year later - have seen their side battling relegation for each of the past two seasons but Cole believes the time is ripe for a revival.
"This is a massive club and there's a massive opportunity for the club to push on. That was the main factor," he said.
"I spoke to the gaffer (Lambert) and we have similar views on football. He didn't need to sell the club but he explained what the view is for the future and, like I said, that was the main thing. When I spoke to the manager I knew I'd be signing.
"I'll be coming here and I'll be learning too. Obviously I'll bring my experience to the squad but you still learn every day and I want to learn."
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