Freund joins Leicester

Leicester manager Micky Adams completed the signing of midfielder Steffen Freund and then admitted: "He is a player you either love or hate."

Adams has acquired the services of the former Tottenham player on a free transfer after he endured an unhappy spell at Kaiserslautern.

He will not be available for Saturday's home Barclaycard Premiership clash with Aston Villa but should make his debut at Newcastle on February 7.

Freund will be well familiar to Foxes fans after his running battle with Robbie Savage during the 1999 League Cup final at Wembley.

The German felt that Savage had overreacted and caused Justin Edinburgh to be sent off in a game won 1-0 by Spurs and there were several heated exchanges.

But Adams expects the Leicester fans will take to Freund in the same way as Savage has become a hero with Birmingham fans since his move to St Andrews.

Adams told the Press Association: "I think the way to sum up Steffen is 'good honest professional'. That says it all.

"He is possibly not everyone's favourite but I am not interested in being everyone's favourite - just staying in the Premiership.

"Steffen fits in perfectly with us here and what we are trying to do. People will probably draw comparisons with Savo (Robbie Savage) and fans love him or hate him.

"If he plays against your team, you hate him but if he plays with your side, he's a favourite. But, like I said, I'm not interested in winning popularity.

"It has not worked out for him at Kaiserslautern but he can do a decent job for us until the end of the season. He won't be available on Saturday but we are looking to play him against Newcastle the following weekend."

Freund becomes Adams' second signing during the January transfer window after Kilmarnock winger Peter Canero, who joined for an undisclosed fee earlier in the month.

Meanwhile Adams believes no club takes the decision to go into administration lightly after the Premier League decided to impose a nine-point penalty on any club to whom it happens after this season.

Leicester came in for criticism last season when, as a Division One club, they had to call in the administrators but kept their squad together to gain promotion back to the Premiership.

Adams said: "It is always unfair against the manager and the players when a club goes into administration and the talk is always about points deductions.

"Perhaps they are trying to warn off boards of directors and chairmen at football clubs who think it is an easy option. But from Leicester's point of view, it was certainly not an easy option."