THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HULL, England — Hull signed Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink on a free transfer Thursday, hoping to strengthen its attacking options.
The Netherlands international had been searching for a club since his contract with Celtic expired in May after three years in Glasgow.
Hull chairman Paul Duffen said the club had beaten big teams to the 30-year-old striker’s signature.
“We’ve definitely wanted an experienced top-drawer striker who scores goals and Jan has scored prolifically in top leagues in Europe. It’s what we need,” Duffen said. “We didn’t score enough goals last season. Going forward we have a lot of new talent and Jan will play his part in using his experience to settle them down.
“We’ve been looking at Jan since July and are really pleased we’ve turned his head. He’s been looking at other big clubs in Europe but the Premier League is where he wants to come and play with us.”
Because Vennegoor of Hesselink was a free agent, Hull was able to complete his signing after the English transfer window closed on Tuesday.
The former PSV Eindhoven forward could play up front for Hull alongside U.S. striker Jozy Altidore, who was signed on a season-long loan from Villarreal.