Leicester sign Keown

Keown's previous clubs include Aston Villa and Everton

Leicester City have signed former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on a one-year contract.

Keown, 37, has been without a club since Arsenal released him at the end of last season after 11 years with the Highbury club.

"Martin Keown is a leader. I felt that it was important for us to bring a player with that quality to the club," said Foxes boss Micky Adams.

"We've beaten a lot of clubs to his signature," he told the club's website.

Adams added that Keown's leadership qualities would prove useful as veteran defender Matt Elliott is out for up to 12 weeks following his knee operation.

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Keown, who played 43 times for England, won three Premiership titles and three FA Cups with Arsenal.

He came through the ranks at Highbury before moving to Aston Villa from 1986 to 1989 and then spent four years at Everton before returning to Arsenal in a £2m deal in 1993.

Ironically, his last competitive game for Arsenal was against Leicester.

The defender had been linked with several clubs over the pre-season period, including Norwich, Portsmouth, West Brom and Bolton.