SC Paderborn 07 have confirmed the arrival of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Oliver Kirch on a two-year deal. Both clubs agreed to remain silent in regards to the transfer fee.
Kirch had fell down the picking order in almost every position he was used in due to injury and new arrivals. Julian Weigl meant he was fifth choice in a central midfield role and Joo-Ho Park's arrival at left-back meant Erik Durm was now free to cover Lukas Piszczek, so a move was seemingly the best decision for all parties.
A useful player wherever he has played
The midfielder had gained a cult following with some of the Dortmund faithful; especially in the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League campaign and perhaps most prominently against Real Madrid. In his three seasons at the Westfalenstadion he made just 30 appearances but was a well-liked player around the squad.
Before joining BVB, and now Paderborn, Kirch had stints with 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Arminia Bielefeld and Borussia Mönchengladbach after beginning his career at SC Verl. Now at the Benteler-Arena, the 33-year-old will be looking to add over 160 games of experience in Germany's top two divisions to the heart of their midfield.
Experience and quality needed to turn around Paderborn's fortunes
He joins Dominik Wydra and Kevin Stöger as the new central midfielders in east Westphalia, and they all need to try and get Markus Gellhaus' side out of the current rut they are in. Paderborn have lost their last three games and have lost four of their last five after outings after being relegated back to the 2. Bundesliga.
Speaking on his arrival to the club website, Gellhaus said: "With Oliver Kirch we gain another strong, dynamic player who has proven his efficiency in numerous renowned clubs." Sporting director Michael Born added, "Oliver brings high footballing quality and a lot of experience with him to Paderborn. He raises the level of quality of our team immediately."