OFFICIAL: Newcastle sign Birmingham goalkeeper John Ruddy

Newcastle United have secured the services of John Ruddy on a free transfer after the goalkeeper’s contract with Birmingham City expired at the end of June, the club announced on July 1.

Ruddy, 37, has been Birmingham’s first-choice goalkeeper in the 2023-24 Championship season, featuring in 44 of 46 matches. His tenure at Birmingham ended on a sour note, with his side relegated from the Championship to League One after finishing 22nd in the second division of English football’s pyramid.

The veteran joined Birmingham in 2022 from Wolverhampton Wanderers, amassing 89 appearances in two years with the Blues.

During his five seasons at Wolves, the goalkeeper mainly served as a back-up goalkeeper following the team’s promotion to the Premier League in 2018. His career also includes a seven-season spell as first-choice goalkeeper for Norwich City before that.

Ruddy’s addition makes him Newcastle’s fourth signing of the summer, joining Lloyd Kelly, Odysseas Vlachodimos and Lewis Hall, and the second goalkeeper to arrive on Tyneside in a matter of days following Vlachodimos’ move from Nott Forest.

This signing fills a need for Newcastle and could end the pursuit of reinforcements in net pending a surprise transfer in the remainder of the summer transfer window.

Nick Pope remains the first-choice goalkeeper and Vlachodimos has been brought in as backup, with Ruddy expected to lie in wait and remain ready in case of emergency. Mark Gillespie is also under contract and expected to remain at the club.

The departures of Martin Dubravka and Loris Karius are all but set in stone, with the latter missing and the former still on the list but most likely leaving NUFC once he returns from international duty at the Euro 2024 tournament.

Welcome to Tyneside, Ruddy!