SWINDON Town have added experience to their defensive ranks with the signing of Jonathan Grounds.

The 32-year-old, who played four times in the Premier League for Middlesbrough, has signed until the end of the season ahead of Saturday’s trip to Blackpool.

Grounds joins the club after it emerged defender Tom Broadbent has been allowed to leave by boss Richie Wellens.

He made 158 Championship appearances at left and centre-back in six years with Birmingham City and left St Andrews at the end of last season.

Grounds started his professional career with Middlesbrough, earning his first professional contract at the start of the 2007/08 season.

He made his first-team debut in a 1-1 top-flight draw with Liverpool. During his five years at the Riverside, the defender had loan spells away from Teesside at Norwich, Hibernian, Chesterfield and Yeovil.

In July 2012, Grounds joined Oldham Athletic on a two-year contract. He started every game bar two over the course of the season and went on to play 106 times for the Latics before he became Lee Clark’s first signing for Birmingham in the 2014 summer transfer window.

During his spell with the Blues, he played alongside Town’s Paul Caddis for three years.

In August 2018, the defender signed a loan deal with Bolton Wanderers, making 13 league appearances at the University of Bolton Stadium.