Experienced defender Alan Stubbs was another deadline-busting arrival on the final day of the January transfer window.

The big centre-half arrived from Everton and signed an 18-month deal before being thrown straight in for his debut and giving a solid performance in the 1-1 draw at Birmingham City.

Stubbs began his career as a trainee at Bolton Wanderers, where he made over 200 appearances in a six-year spell.

During his time with the Burnden Park club - before their move to the Reebok Stadium - he skippered Wanderers in the 1995 League Cup final at Wembley.

But he had a better trip to the Twin Towers at the end of that season when he led Bolton to the Premier League after a thrilling 4-3 play-off final victory over Reading.

Stubbs spent a single season in the top-flight before moving north of the border and joining Celtic for £3.5m in 1996.

A trophy-laden career in the green and white was interrupted as he twice overcame testicular cancer, restricting him to just 127 games in five years.

His dream move to Everton - the Scouser's boyhood club - arrived in July 2001 with a free transfer to Goodison Park.

A further 142 appearances followed before he was snapped up by Sunderland, back in the Premier League for 2005/06.

But he only remained at the Stadium of Light until January 2006 before returning to Goodison for a third spell - he had originally been released by the Toffees as a teenager.

Born in Kirkby, Stubbs stands at six feet two inches and weighs in at over 14 stone - an imposing figure in any defence.

Before arriving at Derby he had 587 senior games to his name and 19 goals - many coming from set-pieces, often with a powerful dead-ball strike.

LAST UPDATED: February 6 2008.

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