Scotland striker Steven Thompson has completed his transfer from Rangers to Cardiff City. The 27-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half year contract with the Coca-Cola Championship club.
Thompson, who will cost around �250,000, is poised to make his debut against Burnley on Saturday.
Cardiff had failed in bids for Hibernian's Derek Riordan and Kilmarnock's Kris Boyd, who has since moved to Rangers.
Thompson said: "I'd grown a bit frustrated at not playing regularly and, when Rangers signed Kris Boyd, I made my mind up I wasn't prepared to be his understudy.
"The length on my contract will enable me to get my teeth into the challenge of establishing myself as first-choice here at Cardiff."
 |  He scored some crucial goals for us |
Thompson was a product of Dundee United's youth system and broke into their senior team in 1997.
He went on to score 31 goals in 161 outings for United, enough to convince Rangers boss Alex McLeish to sign him in January 2003, with the Tayside outfit receiving �1m and Billy Dodds in exchange.
But the striker, capped 16 times for Scotland, never established himself as a regular at Ibrox despite 23 goals in 85 appearances.
The Glasgow club's manager, Alex McLeish, had said on Friday that Thompson would not be allowed to leave until Dado Prso returned to fitness.
But he had a change of heart, with the player keen to move in search of first-team football before the end of his Rangers contract, which was due to run until the summer.
McLeish told his club website: "We wish Stevie all the best down at Cardiff and I would like to thank him for his service to Rangers.
"He scored some crucial goals for us and was also part of the side that helped us qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League."
The arrival of Thompson in south Wales came the day after the signing of Darlington striker Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu.
MMIX
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