Airdrieonians FC are delighted to announce the signing of Portuguese midfielder Hugo Faria.

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The vastly experienced 32-year-old spent the first half of this season at Livingston, earning many plaudits in his 18 appearances for the Lions and winning the man of the match award in a 1-1 draw with Championship leaders Rangers.

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Capped 14 times at Under 20 level, where he featured alongside Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Hugo's illustrious career has seen him turn out in Greece and Malta as well as his homeland, where he came through the FC Porto youth system.

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Hugo has signed a two and a half year contract that will make him a cornerstone of the Club in the seasons to come and he said: "I am thrilled to be here, it has been a hectic few days since I made the decision to leave Livi.

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"The enthusiasm and honesty of the coach, the chairman and the chief executive were what swung this move for me.

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"They have a vision of where Airdrieonians can go and I can't wait to be a part of that. People might look at the fact that I was in the Championship but this isn't one step back, it's two steps forward."

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Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black welcomed Hugo to the Club after he signed his contract on Wednesday night and got ready for his first training session with his new team-mate.

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And Eddie said: "Hugo brings a wealth of experience with him and he can be a huge help to the likes of Marc Fitzpatrick.

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"He is a ball-winning midfielder with a great knowledge of the game from a host of leagues across Europe and that will also be vital in helping to educate our younger players."

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The capture of Faria brings our transfer window signings to four after Motherwell loanees David Ferguson and Dylan Mackin and ex-Hamilton Accies left-back Kieran MacDonald bolstered the squad.

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Chief Executive Iain King said: "It has been a hectic couple of weeks with some players leaving and what is a mix of youth and now the experience of Hugo coming in.

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"He brings grit and guile to a crucial area of the team and I look forward to seeing him become an Airdrie mainstay. He can be a massive influence on our younger players."