Manchester United have completed the signing of Serbia and Montenegro and Spartak Moscow centre-half Nemanja Vidic.

Vidic, who recently came second in the Player of the Year award in his native country, will be partly as a replacement for Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze, who has a long term injury that will probably mean that he misses the World Cup Finals for the Albiceleste.

A Manchester United statement said; “Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Spartak Moscow for the purchase of 24 year-old Serbia & Montenegro international defender Nemanja Vidic for an undisclosed fee.”

“The player has signed a four-and-a-half year contract which will see him at the club until June 2010.”

Manchester United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson is excited about the prospect of Vidic joining the club, and told the club TV channel MUTV: “As I keep pointing out, good defenders win you things.”

“In my time we have had people like Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Paul Parker, Denis Irwin, Ronnie Johnson and Jaap Stam.”

“This lad is really natural and athletic. I know you need good defenders…and that is exactly what this lad is.”

Vidic has not played a competitive game since the Russian season came to an end on November 22, and the former Spartak star has been limited to endurance training only during his first two days at Manchester United's Carrington training complex.

Ferguson has already stated that Vidic will not be involved in Sunday's FA Cup tie at Burton, nor the Blackburn Carling Cup tie, so a reserve team outing against Leeds next Thursday seems likely to be his start in the United colours, before the chance of facing Manchester City on January 14.

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