YES, it has happened, I have just put pen to paper and signed for Aston Villa!

I am no longer a Spur, I am now officially a Villan, and I have gone from the blue and white of Tottenham to the claret and blue of Villa.

I met with Villa manager John Gregory in a Birmingham hotel this afternoon and then with the club’s chairman, Doug Ellis, and the talks resulted in my signing a 2 year contract.

I have to say that I feel as though a weight has finally been lifted off my shoulders, and I can now look forward to the season ahead.

I had been in limbo at Tottenham since the middle of June, when the bombshell news dropped that Alan Sugar had accepted a £3 million bid for me from Villa.

You can imagine how I felt. There was I, enjoying my summer holiday, looking forward to another season at White Hart Lane - hopefully a successful one - when my agent Chantal Stanley called me to tell me that Spurs were selling me.

It totally ruined my summer. I never asked to leave, I was happy at White Hart Lane, and my family were settled in North London.

But it was quite clear that Spurs and I am not quite clear whether Alan Sugar or George Graham didn’t want me around any more, and so were prepared to let me leave.

Once I got over the shock, I was very disappointed to learn that the club had put a £3 million price tag on my head. I am 33 and although I feel I have still got at least two years left in me, playing at the highest level, I felt I should have been rewarded for my time at Spurs with a free transfer. That would have given me far more freedom in choosing which club to join.

In fact, Spurs originally quoted Villa £4 million, but then accepted a bid of £3 million. People then said I was being greedy with my demands, but I hope they understand that if I was being pushed out of Spurs [and I fought long and hard to avoid that] then I was going to leave on my terms.

And as for demanding his and hers Mercedes and a six bedroom mansion, I can confirm that there is absolutely no truth in any of those ridiculous statements. All I did was to try and get a decent wage, again wildy exaggerated in the press, for having to leave Tottenham and uprooting to the Midlands. People have to appreciate that I did not anticipate any of this, having signed a 3 year contract with Tottenham only 12 months ago.

I feel sorry for the Tottenham fans in all this. I had a marvellous relationship with them during my three years at the club, and I wanted to stay and try to bring them more success to add to the Worthington Cup which we won a year ago. But it wasn’t to be.

I was surprised to hear George Graham saying in the papers that he didn’t want me to go. If that was really the case then he had the power to tell Alan Sugar not to accept Villa’s offer, but that is all history now.

I want to look ahead positively to the future. John Gregory has made me feel very wanted, and I am sure I can repay his faith in me.

I have turned down several offers from abroad to come to Villa Park. There was interest from clubs in England and from clubs in Europe, as far afield as Turkey, plus some big interest from America.

But I love the English Premiership and am looking forward now to trying to win things with Villa.

John Gregory likes flair players - he appreciates them, and I am looking forward to showing the Villa fans just what I can do!

It will be exciting playing in the same midfield as the likes of Paul Merson and Luc Nilis, supplying a service for Dion Dublin and Co.

Yes, the new season promises to be an interesting one and now that my future is settled I shall give 100 per cent to my new career as a player for Aston Villa. Over the years I have developed a strong bond with the Tottenham supporters, they have a special place in my heart but now my future is with Villa and I shall give my all to my new family.

David Ginola.

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