BLACKBURN Rovers boss Steve Kean has hailed the signing of Radosav Petrovic as a “major coup”.

Petrovic was granted a work permit at a hearing at Wembley Stadium yesterday, meaning Rovers could rubber-stamp his move from FK Partizan to Ewood Park on a four-year deal.

However, the Serbian international faces a race against time to be available for Saturday’s curtain-raiser against Wolves.

Kean was present in London to put forward the midfielder’s case – and was thrilled to finally see the 22-year-old join Rovers for an undisclosed fee.

“We are delighted to bring Radosav to the club, as he is a player that I have admired for some time,” he said.

“His record to date speaks for itself and he is exactly the type of player we have been looking to recruit.

“He is a dynamic midfield player, with a great box-to-box mentality and a good passer of the ball, who I believe will go on to make a big impact with Rovers.

“It is a fact that many European clubs were in the race for his signature and we consider getting him to Ewood Park as a major coup.”

Rovers must now quickly complete the player’s registration to ensure Petrovic is eligible for this weekend’s Premier League opener against Wolves at Ewood Park.

The six foot four inch midfielder is currently in Moscow with the Serbian national team squad as they prepare for this afternoon’s international friendly against Russia.