Coyle gets his first man

Coyle said after Tuesday's defeat at Blackpool that he wanted a dominating central defender and Big Stan is just that. He's 6ft 5ins tall, powerful and very strong in the air and fits the bill perfectly of the player the manager said he was looking for.

An international with over fifty caps for Slovakia, he comes to Burnley initially for a month and should add some great experience to a back four that on Sunday will be missing David Unsworth (suspended) as well as the injured Clarke Carlisle. It could be some baptism of fire for him against Arsenal, but they were his first ever opponents in English football when he made his debut for Sunderland in 2000.

A Scottish Cup and SPL winner at Celtic, Owen Coyle said of his first signing: "I'm delighted to get Varga in on loan. I have known him for years, both from when I played against him and during my time as a coach and manager.

"In the light of our injuries and suspensions, he will bring a physical presence to the backline. I'm sure he will compliment the squad and have a big impact on the team."