Bolton Wanderers fended off competition from a number of Premiership rivals on Friday, when they signed former Blackbrun striker, Matt Jansen, on a contract until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old, who was released by Rovers on Wednesday, could go straight into the squad against his old team-mates in tomorrow's Ewood Park derby.

Jansen is Sam Allardyce's second signing of the transfer window, following the Oman international goalkeeper, Ali Al-Habsi, who joined Wanderers last week from the Norwegian club, Lyn, Oslo.

Commenting on the Jansen swoop, Allardyce said: "Matt has great potential, even though he hasn't been involved with Blackburn of late, and I do believe he has the right qualities to resurrect his career here at the Reebok.

"I am looking forward to working with him between now and the end of the season and I hope he can recapture the form that made him one of England's best strikers a couple of seasons ago."

Jansen, once rated in the £10 million category, made 182 appearances for Blackburn, scoring 57 goals, but failed to reclaim a regular place after suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in Rome in the summer of 2002.