Stoke City have announced the signing of defender Phil Bardsley on a three-year deal.
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The 28-year-old Scotland international will join the Potters on July 1 following the expiration of his contract at Sunderland, where he has spent the last six-and-a-half years.
Sunderland had hoped to extend Bardsley's stay on Wearside after re-opening contract talks after initial discussions came to nothing, but must now admit defeat.
Bardsley joined Sunderland from hometown club Manchester United in a two million pound switch in January 2008 after loan moves to Royal Antwerp, Burnley, Rangers, Aston Villa and Sheffield United and established himself as first-choice right-back.
However, he fell out of favour with former boss Paolo Di Canio and seemed destined to leave the club last summer, when only a foot injury scuppered a proposed move to Fulham.
Di Canio took a dim view of the player being pictured lying on the floor of a casino covered in 50 pound notes, and was even less impressed with an ill-advised tweet after the club's 1-0 home defeat by Fulham on the opening day of the Premier League season.
However, he was handed a clean slate by new manager Gus Poyet after he replaced the controversial Italian in October last year, and rehabilitated himself to such an extent that he started the Capital One Cup final against Manchester City in March.