Bidvest Wits have announced the signing of former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar to bolster their squad ahead of the 2017-18 Absa Premiership season.

The 35-year-old midfielder has now joined the Absa Premiership champions as a free agent, after he parted ways with Premier League side Sunderland during the off-season.

The veteran midfielder spent the last 16 years of his career playing abroad in Europe, and spent a decade playing in England for Everton, Spurs and Sunderland.

Many Absa Premiership clubs were after the signature of the former Bafana Bafana captain, including the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Cape Town City, but Wits ultimately won the race.

“The Clever Boys are pleased to welcome Steven Pienaar to the family @therealstevenpi #NewSigning #TransferNews,” Wits revealed on their official Twitter account.

Over the course of his career, Pienaar has netted a total of 45 goals and assisted a further 73 from 429 appearances in all competitions, playing for the likes of Ajax Cape Town and Amsterdam, Borussia Dortmund, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Sunderland.

On an international level, the midfielder has racked up 63 caps for the South African national team, while scoring three goals in the process, since making his debut on 23 March 2002.

– This story originally appeared on SportsClub.co.za