Hibs swoop to replace Kevin Nisbet with experienced ‘great guy’ striker with impressive goal to game average
HIBS have signed free agent forward Adam Le Fondre after his exit from Australian giants Sydney FC.
The striker will boost Lee Johnson's front-line which lost Kevin Nisbet to Millwall last week.
The 36-year-old has 273 career goals and is well known to director of football Brian McDermott.
The pair worked together more than a decade ago at Reading and the striker left a lasting impression.
He was described as 'selfless' by McDermott last year and "not only a great player but a great guy too" in a ringing endorsement from one of his new bosses.
Stockport-born Le Fondre steered the Royals to the English Premier League and has also had spells with Wolves, Cardiff City and Bolton as well as his A-League stint plus a loan at Mumbai City.
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He has signed a one-year deal at Easter Road, but the Club has an option to extend this for a further campaign.
Hibees boss Lee Johnson said: “Adam brings craft to our new front-line and his experience and nous in the game will help develop our younger strikers.
“Throughout his career he has a proven goal scoring record and physically he’s in good shape. We look forward to working with him.”
Le Fondre boasted a goal rate better than one every two games in his spell Down Under and will fill the huge void left by Kevin Nisbet's departure from Easter Road.
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Hibs saw Nisbet finally seal a switch to Millwall last weekend.
The Lions had been in for the Scotland international back in January but the hitman turned down the transfer at the time.
But a second attempt landed their man in a deal which could rise to £2m.
They also have the newly-engaged Christian Doidge returning to the club following his loan spell with Kilmarnock and Martin Boyle still to make his injury comeback.
Le Fondre is in line to make his 700th career appearance for his new club with 694 games to his name so far.
He started out at hometown Stockport County before moving to Rochdale and Rotherham where he netted 54 goals in 100 games.
He helped fire Reading into the Premier League in 2011-12 where he met McDermott and spent five years in the Championship before moving to the A-League.
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