Aston Villa midfielder Gary Gardner has joined Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season
The 22-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion, having signed a new contract at Villa last summer.
An England Under-21 international, Gardner is the brother of West Bromwich Albion’s Craig Gardner and has been at the Birmingham club since 2005.
Despite two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, the Solihull-born player has made 16 senior appearances for Villa as well as loan spells at Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday.
Sami Hyypia, Brighton’s manager last August, said: “He is the type of midfielder who is active and mobile, but very importantly he has real quality on the ball – and is also capable of producing things from set pieces.”
Gardner is believed to be eligible for the squad against Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.