ECSTATIC Giants officials are labelling the capture of Australian Test centre Michael De Vere as the biggest signing in the club's history.

The 27-year-old Brisbane Broncos goalkicker will arrive at the McAlpine for the start of Super League X in 2005 on a two-year deal.

It is the first time since Pat Devery's arrival in 1947 that Huddersfield have signed a current Australian international.

It is also another clear indication of the Giants' desire to compete with Super League's top teams.

De Vere had been strongly linked with a move to Hull FC last week, while he was a major target for Wigan Warriors last season.

But instead, the points-scoring machine, who is second only to the Bulldogs' Hazem Al Masri in Australia's NRL and played in his country's 37-10 victory over New Zealand in the ANZAC Test in April, has opted to join the Giants.

Unfortunately, De Vere will remain sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in training at the weekend.

But that won't prevent him from starting his career with the Giants in January and has failed to dampen the enthusiasm of chairman Ken Davy.

"The signing of Michael has to go down as arguably the club's biggest ever signing," said Davy.

"It is clearly the biggest in my time at the club and also the biggest in the past 40 years.

"And it would be difficult to make meaningful comparisons with someone like Michael, because he is recognised throughout the game as such a great player.

"Until very recently he was the top NRL points-scorer and will be coming to us at the very prime of his career.

"He is without question one of the best players in Australia and is a current member of the Kangaroos' squad.

"So for the Giants to be able to recruit someone of Michael's calibre is an outstanding tribute to everyone at the club.

"This signing has put down a clear marker that we have the drive and the ambition to become one of the very top clubs in Super League.

"It is also a clear signal of the excellent health of the Super League competition as a whole that we have been able to land one of Australia's top players.

"I don't think anyone here could wish for a clearer signal of intent from the Giants.

"This news is massive for us."

De Vere suffered a ruptured anterior ligament in his right knee in training at the weekend - just days after initially agreeing to sign - and will have to undergo reconstruction surgery in the next few days.

That will keep him on the sidelines for the rest of the Australian season and almost certainly rules him out of this autumn's Tri-Nations series against Great Britain and New Zealand in England.

But in a sense that's good news for the Giants, who know their new man will arrive at the McAlpine in the peak of condition.