The former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel has signed a three-year contract with Aston Villa, moving to the Midlands club a day after Rovers signed Paul Robinson from Tottenham. The 37-year-old American international had been linked with Villa for several weeks and finally signed an agreement that will keep him in Premier League football past his 40th birthday.

Earlier this summer, Villa were priced out of signing Scott Carson, who was their first-choice goalkeeper last season while on loan from Liverpool. Villa revealed yesterday that they had been given permission to talk to Friedel, who is from the same state, Ohio, as the Villa chairman Randy Lerner, and confirmed the signing this afternoon. The fee is reported to be in the region of £2.5m.

Friedel has been capped 82 times by the US and made 287 appearances for Blackburn after moving to the club from Liverpool in 2000. He did not sign for Villa in time to feature in their Intertoto Cup match against Odense this evening, but will be eligible to play in the Uefa Cup should Villa progress.