Huddersfield Town have secured plenty of options in signing Birmingham City utility man David Edgar, who is capable of performing in various roles both in defence and midfield.
With Town's own 'Mr Versatility' Lee Peltier on the brink of a move to Cardiff City, Chris Powell has moved to bring in a similar type of player to both offset any departure and add proven quality at this level to his ranks.
Edgar's signing allows Powell to add competition to various areas of his squad and his adaptability ensures he can fit into each of the manager's favoured formations.
He has largely played in a central defensive role during his brief stint to date at St Andrew's but was pushed down the pecking order as a result of Michael Morrison's arrival from Charlton Athletic.
But where will he be of use to Powell during his loan spell and in what positions could he line up in the starting XI?
Here are some of the options available to the Town manager with his latest acquisition.
Central defence
The position Edgar has most commonly played in so far at Birmingham City and one manager Chris Powell has earmarked him to primarily play in during his John Smith's Stadium stint.
Edgar has helped to contribute just the two clean sheets from 19 games this term, and one of those came in a substitute role at Huddersfield, but he is strong in the tackle, as a success rate of 80% from attempted challenges this season will attest.
His ability to play centrally will also facilitate Powell's desire to field three at the back, something Edgar would be able to slot into with relative ease on either side or in the middle of the defensive trio.
David Edgar defensive stats (2014/2015)
57.3
Duels won (%)
56.1
Aerial duels won (%)
30
Total tackles
All numbers from Opta
Full-back
It may not be his favoured position, but Edgar certainly fits the bill for Town on the right or left-hand side of a back four should injuries or suspensions occur during the coming months.
The Canadian international arrives just as Peltier appears set to complete a switch to South Wales and so Town will be devoid of an obvious right-back beyond the No.1 in that position Tommy Smith.
Edgar plied his trade at first club Newcastle United largely in this area of the team and so is equipped to move out there should he be required too, although it could be argued he does not possess the attacking quality to function as a wing-back in the 3-5-2 system, having created just four chances so far this season.
David Edgar passing stats (2014/2015)
396
Total passes
24
% of long passes
29.63
Passes per 90 minutes
All numbers from Opta
Defensive midfield
Perhaps the most obvious role for the 27-year-old beyond a central defensive role would be to deploy him slightly further forward, where he enjoyed so much success with Burnley in their 2013/2014 promotion-winning campaign.
He formed reliable central midfield partnerships with first-choice options David Jones and Dean Marney and this is a position he personally wishes to play in during his loan spell, something that could be crucial after the string of injuries Jonathan Hogg has sustained this season.
His passing accuracy stands at 66% so far this season, with Hogg up at a commendable 89% but the loanee prevails from an off-the-ball perspective, with 81 clearances and 32 interceptions completed against 16 and 20 respectively from Town's midfield enforcer.
