Seattle Sounders have confirmed the signing of veteran English defender Tyrone Mears.
The 31-year old full-back has joined the Sounders and will be added to their MLS roster pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
Mears most recently played with English Championship side Bolton Wanderers but was released at the end of the 2013/14 season, however, Sounders boss Sigi Schmid is confident he will bring with him plenty of experience and assuredness in defence.
"Tyrone is a player we had an opportunity to evaluate over the past summer when he trained with us in Seattle and we were very impressed with his pedigree," Schmid said in a statement.
"He's a full-back that is solid defensively, with the ability to possess the ball and to get forward in the attack. Tyrone is also a very good one-versus-one defender - a capability that is a key ingredient to success in our league - and we're excited about his future with our club."
Mears begun his career with Manchester City in 2001 before spending four years at Preston North End and then onto West Ham United in 2006.
He had an initial loan spell at Derby County before signing permanently in 2007 prior to a short stint with French club Marseille.
English-born Mears, who has represented Jamaica on one occasion, then joined Burnley in 2009 prior to his 2011 shift to Bolton.
OFFICIAL: #Sounders sign defender Tyrone Mears: http://t.co/LcMCagBKnSpic.twitter.com/v9WfqIhBUB
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) December 29, 2014
