London - Newcastle United signed midfielder Kevin Nolan from Bolton for 4 million pounds on Friday.

The Bolton captain signed a four-and-a-half year contract with the north-east club.

"It was an opportunity which was impossible to turn down," Nolan told Newcastle's official website.

Manager Joe Kinnear was delighted with his new signing.

"He's got a good eye for goal and has got bags of Premier League experience.

"He's a player I think our fans will love," he said. "He's a real inspirational player and a great character. He's the sort of lad that never knows when he is beaten.

"I think he is going to be a very valuable player for us and someone who can help us climb back up the table."

Nolan's arrival was a boost for the club on a day when French midfielder Charles N'Zogbia reportedly announced that he would not play for the club again while Kinnear was manager.

N'Zogbia was upset after Kinnear mispronounced his name, calling him "Insomnia", in an interview after the midweek defeat at Manchester City.

"Sadly, this just smacks of a desperate attempt to engineer a move away from Newcastle United," Kinnear said.

"OK, I got a little tongue-tied, but if I had a pound for every time I've mispronounced a player's name down the years, then I'd be a very wealthy man indeed." (dpa)