GRAEME Souness has scoured the European market to bring one of the best left backs in the business to Ewood Park.

The Rovers boss admitted he looked at Celta Vigo's Juan Fran Garcia, Nantes' Sylvain Armand and Silvinho from Deportivo La Coruna before landing Vratislav Gresko from Parma on loan until the end of the season.

But the Slovakian's huge price tag means it is unlikely he will become a permanent fixture at Blackburn.

Souness said: "There isn't an option to buy at the end of this season because he's too expensive. As I understand it, the best we can hope for is to take him for maybe another year on loan."

But the Ewood chief is confident Gresko can provide a short-term fix to Rovers' ever depleting defence, even though he has yet to see the 25-year-old in action.

"I've not seen him play, and this is the first time I've signed someone without actually seeing them, but he comes highly recommended by people I know in Italy, whose opinions I respect, and Hakan Sukur has played with him and tells me he's a good player.

"Inter Milan paid a great deal of money for him, he played in their team which was challenging for the championship for two years, so that tells me he must be a good player.

"Inter are the biggest spenders over there, they are arguably the biggest team in Italy at the moment and I don't think you play in that team if you're a dumpling.

"He is an international player and, given his age, what can go wrong?"

Souness revealed Henning Berg was not yet ready for a return to first team action, despite playing an hour in the reserves, and with Lucas Neill and Andy Todd suspended for tomorrow's game at Aston Villa.

Gresko is likely to be thrown in at the deep end as he looks to recover from a knock to his confidence after being ostracised from his former club.

Souness continued: "I believe Inter were going for the championship and he was at fault for one of the goals that cost them the championship on the last day of last season against Lazio in Roma. He got a lot of stick for that, was under a great deal of pressure from the supporters and he was chased out of Inter.

"I think he lost his way a bit at Parma last year because it knocked his confidence but we will hopefully rebuild that. He won't have enjoyed the criticism but it's character building. What you end up as in life is shaped by the knocks you take."

But Souness said signing Gresko would not affect Jay McEveley's progress with the first team.

The 17-year-old has earned rave reviews after providing cover in the left back spot, despite being a centre half by trade.

"It's a very different position, left back to centre back, and Jay has coped with that very well," he said.

"I don't think the arrival of Gresko will be detrimental to Jay's future at all."