Stoke sign Ipswich forward Al-Hamadi on loan

Ali Al-Hamadi has made 11 substitute appearances for Ipswich in the Premier League this season

Stoke City have signed Ipswich forward Ali Al-Hamadi on loan for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old helped Ipswich win promotion to the top flight last season after joining from AFC Wimbledon midway through the campaign.

In August, he became the first player from Iraq to appear in the Premier League.

Al-Hamadi's arrival at Stoke will help to plug the gap left by Tom Cannon's loan spell being ended early by Leicester, with the striker subsequently joining Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee.

Potters sporting director Jon Walters said: "Strikers of real pedigree are one of the hardest commodities to secure in any transfer window, so to get Ali over the line is a significant boost for us all.

"We know there has been significant interest from other clubs and are delighted he has opted to join Stoke City.

"Ali's goalscoring record speaks for itself, but it's his relentless hard-working approach that truly epitomises what we stand for as a club."

Al-Hamadi has made 11 substitute appearances in the Premier League this season but is yet to make a league start in the top flight for the Tractor Boys.

His only goal to date this season came against his former club AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.