Shaun Maloney has completed his transfer from Wigan Athletic to MLS side Chicago Fire.
Maloney had been at the DW Stadium for four years and played in the team that won the 2013 FA Cup, but it was widely expected that he would leave this month.
Wigan accepted an offer from Premier League side Leicester City, but talks broke down between the Foxes and Maloney before Chicago made their approach.
On his move, he told reporters: "I'm very happy to be joining the Fire. I owe a lot to the manager Frank Yallop and the owner Andrew Hauptman for getting this done.
"I certainly didn't expect it to get done this quickly, so I appreciate the faith that they've shown in me. It's a brilliant league and I'm really hopeful that I'm going to enjoy Chicago and be a big part of what the club is building.
"I'd also like to show respect for my previous club and thank the owner and manager over at Wigan for letting this happen."
Maloney had scored twice for the Latics this season.
Charlie Bennett
