Blake is Back in Claret&Blue

The Clarets have today completed the signing of Leeds United striker Robbie Blake for £250,000 on a three-year deal.The fee for the 31-year-old will rise to £350,000 after 40 games and also includes a promotion bonus.

Robbie a firm favourite of the Clarets fans, left Turf Moor to join Birmingham City two-and-a-half years ago. He left under a bit of a cloud after showing, it was thought by some, disloyalty in his attempt first to leave for Wigan and then Birmingham when that fell through.

We sold him for £1.25m, a club record at the time. It never really worked out for Blake at Birmingham and although he did manage to taste a bit of Premiership football, it wasnt to be and he soon found himself back in the Championship with Leeds

The 31-year-old scored 51 goals in 137 appearances for the Clarets before signing for Birmingham City.Blake joined Leeds in July 2005 and scored 20 goals in 63 starts for the troubled Elland Road club.

Well I think most fans will be delghted by this news and those giving him a bit of grief following his slightly sour departure last time may have to swallow some pride and welcome him back with open arms!

There is a thought that former players returning very rarely reach the form they previously had with the Club! I suppose at the back of some people's mind is Ade Akinbiyi as a recent example. But Ade looks pretty mean at the moment and his form could well return.

We have really missed the craftmanship of Blake and his ability to score and create from set-pieces is legendary. Something we have sadly missed the last couple of seasons!

This Editor for one is getting very excited about our prospects for 2007/8 and maybe there is more to come before the closure of the transfer window at the end of August!

Welcome back Robbie, heck I can dig out and wear my old Robbie Blake shirt again now!! We have the first chance to see Robbie in the friendly match against Accrington Stanley this Saturday