Bolton have completed the signing of former Real Madrid defender Julio Cesar.

The 6’2 Brazilian has signed a one-year contract, after spending much of the last month on trial at the club.

The 25-year-old moves to Lancashire, having already played in 5 different European clubs since moving to Europe, which as well as his time at Real, includes spells at Milan and Benfica.

“He is a fantastic player and will be an excellent signing for us,” said Bolton manager Sam Allardyce.

“He has fantastic physique and should settle quickly into the squad. For such a young man, he has had experience playing top level football in four European countries.

“Julio sees the Premiership as the ideal springboard to continue his rapid growth as a top class player.”

Julio Cesar was expected to make his debut last Saturday against Internazionale but the required clearance wasn’t received in time.

The defender was a member of the Real Madrid squad that won the 2000 Champions League.