BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill hopes new signing Joey Gudjonsson can stun defences with his firepower.

The Clarets boss doesn't believe his side have scored enough goals from midfield this season.

But that all looks set to change thanks to his latest capture.

For one of former Leicester, Aston Villa and Real Betis midfield man Gudjonsson's greatest assets is his keen eye for goal.

The 26-year-old will, perhaps, be best remembered by Leicester fans for scoring from inside his own half against Hull City last season, wrapping up a 3-2 win with another long-range effort in his man of the match performance.

And it is that ability to beat goalkeepers from the most unlikely of distances that, among his other attributes, has impressed Cotterill.

"The last time I saw him was for Leicester at Preston, and he was excellent on the day, he's combative, and, more than anything, he shoots and he scores," said the Burnley boss, who snapped up Gudjonsson in a three-and-a-half year deal worth £150,000 from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in time for tonight's home game against Stoke City.

"We haven't really got one of those (players) in our midfield that scores enough goals.

"He does have an excellent strike and it is very difficult these days to score a goal.

"So many more teams are organised and sometimes trying to get that perfect goal, you can't always get.

"So sometimes with people with good shooting ability, it can open a door that isn't really there for another player who hasn't got that shooting ability.

"So hopefully that's what he'll bring to us."

Gudjonsson, whose full name is Johannes Karl Gudjonsson, is the son of former Stoke City, Notts County, Barnsley and Iceland national team manager Gudjon Thordarson.

The 26-year-old has been well travelled since beginning his professional career almost 10 years ago with IA Akranes in the Icelandic Premier Division.

He later joined top flight Belgium side Racing Club Genk before moving to MVV Maastricht in The Netherlands.

He then had a season working under current Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol at Dutch club RKC Waalwijk before being snapped up by Spanish Primera Liga side Real Betis.

He made his way to England in January 2003 when he signed for Aston Villa.

He moved to Wolves a few months later but managed to make a name for himself in two full seasons with Leicester, between 2004 and 2006, where he scored a total of 10 goals in 77 Championship appearances.

Despite not establishing himself in the AZ Alkmaar side, Gudjonsson has played in four 2008 European Championship qualifiers this season.

But while Cotterill acknowledges that the midfielder comes to Burnley with a wealth of experience at Premiership, Championship and international level, he is more interested in what he can offer his new club from now on.

"It (his previous experience) might help. I think it's more important what he does for our club than what he's done elsewhere," Cotterill said.

"He certainly won't be looking back. He has a good pedigree and we know what he's capable of.

"He's another one who's going to need time to settle and we'll hopefully help him to do that as quickly as possible.

"He's 26 years of age, which is a good age, we've given him a three-and-a-half year contract, so we're delighted with that.

"I think you have to try and get the average age of the side down.

"If you can get in young players it stands you in good stead not only now, but for the future.

"We're looking forward to him settling in."