West Bromwich [UK], September 16 (ANI): Former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has signed a deal with West Bromwich Albion.

The 36-year-old returns to England after spending the past three seasons in Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Ivanovic arrives at the newly-promoted side with a wealth of Premier League experience having enjoyed nine trophy-laden years at Chelsea, winning three league titles, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Europa League, three FA Cups, one League Cup and one FA Community Shield.

Ivanovic has appeared at two FIFA World Cup finals for Serbia - 2010 in South Africa and 2018 in Russia. The defender is Serbia's most capped player with 105 appearances.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world. I need to challenge myself and I am ready for the challenge. I am really happy to be back playing in the Premier League. I hope I am going to be successful here," Branislav said in the club's official statement.

"I have a lot of ambition and I want to prove a lot of things. I will give everything for the team," he added.

Baggies boss Slaven Bilic believes the signing of Ivanovic will be a big boost to his squad.

"He's a great addition for us, a team who are newly promoted in the Premier League. He ticks all the boxes for us. He's done everything in his career - it's been magnificent. We're delighted. He adds quality and experience on the pitch and off the pitch," Bilic said.

"So it is not only him, it is him plus the influence he will have on not just defenders but the whole team around him. That's why we targeted him as one of our prime targets. It's a great signing for us," he added. (ANI)