ASHLEY Ward completed his £4.5 million move from Barnsley to Blackburn Rovers and revealed that almost half the Premiership had been chasing him!

And Rovers boss Brian Kidd stressed that his second major signing would not be his last.

Ward, unveiled at Ewood today, also dismissed suggestions that there had been major problems in agreeing personal terms with Rovers.

Top 10 clubs Leeds United and Leicester City were two of the major players in the chase for Ward but Rovers managed to reach agreement with Barnsley by outbidding them.

And the player revealed that once the fee had been agreed he had no intentions of going anywhere else.

"It has been an unsettling time for me but that's part of the transfer job and it's nice to be wanted," he said.

"The chairman told me that seven or eight Premiership clubs had contacted Barnsley about me and that's why they asked the price they have.

"And it's nice to have top coaches up and down the country who think you can do a half-decent job for them at that level.

"But when I think about Blackburn I think about a club towards the top of the League, so there was no choice to be made.

"They haven't been in the best of shape this year but you have to look beyond that and to the history and potential of the club. "It would have been easy to look at a club in the top half of the table and say I wanted to go to them.

"But when you look at this place, this is where I wanted to come."

Kidd was delighted with his latest capture, saying: "I think he will be a really good acquisition for the squad and the important part was that he wanted to join us.

"Both he and Keith Gillespie have wanted to come to Rovers and that is what I am really happy about.

"It's my job to do what is right and I want competition for places. There are other areas in the squad I want to improve and spending money will not worry me.

"We have to be realistic and people have to realise that, just because it's Rovers, they cannot add another nought or two to the fee or wages.

"But Jack Walker makes you feel you want to be successful for him."

The delay in completing the deal, after Ward first held brief talks with Rovers last Friday, means he will not be eligible for Saturday's FA Cup third round tie against Charlton, despite reports to the contrary in the national Press and on local radio.

He will not be available to make his bow until the Premiership clash with Leeds United on Saturday week, as there is a seven-day signing rule covering FA Cup ties.

But at least his arrival alleviates another problem for Kidd, as the manager expects to lose the services of Kevin Davies for the Leeds game.

Davies picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and is set to serve a one-match suspension.

With Chris Sutton injured, the addition of another striker to the squad is timely.

Ward is understood to have turned down an offer of around £10,000-per-week to stay with Barnsley, a club he joined 16 months ago from Derby for £1.5m. Rovers are said to have settled on a salary of around £700,000 a year with him but the club would not comment on the figures.

Ward's eight Premiership goals last season could not quite help to keep Barnsley in the top flight and he now joins another relegation battle.

But his 15 goals this term, including a run of 14 in 17 matches, made him a wanted man,

Rovers, whose initial bid of £4.2 million was rebuffed by Barnsley chairman John Dennis, who demanded £5 million, have agreed a down-payment of £4.25m, with the remaining £250,000 paid after a set number of appearances.

Ewood chief executive John Williams said: "Ashley Ward was one of the top names on Brian Kidd's list. He attracted considerable interest and naturally we are pleased to have signed him."

Barnsley are expected to use the bulk of the cash to fund the building of a new North Stand at Oakwell.

They would have preferred to have kept the striker but he has clearly had a major role to play in persuading them that they should sell.

"We have no desire to see Ashley leave. But he made his situation clear," said their chairman.

Twenty eight last month, Ward has signed a contract for the next four and a half years.

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