Hibs sign £2m Sunderland striker

While Easter Road boss John Hughes was remaining tight-lipped, apart from denying a three-year deal had been clinched, it is understood the Republic of Ireland internationalist has signed with the club.

Stokes said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be joining Hibernian and particularly pleased to be working with John Hughes again.

"I know how the manager works and I'm looking forward to producing my best for him and for the team."

Hughes added: "Anthony has got bags of talent and I can't wait to start working with him again.

"He has scored goals in the SPL before and I'm certain that he will score goals again.

"I see him as a great addition as we continue to develop the squad."

Negotiations, which went late into last night, finally finished today with a view to reuniting Stokes with Hughes and former Bairns team-mates Patrick Cregg and Kevin McBride. Hughes has made no secret of his desire to sign Stokes again, the 21-year-old having scored an astonishing 16 goals in just 18 matches during a short loan spell with Falkirk three seasons ago.

In that time Stokes, who was on loan from Arsenal, scored three hat-tricks and became the first SPL player to do so back-to-back as he netted three against Dundee United and then Dunfermline in successive matches.

Those goals prompted then Sunderland boss Roy Keane to splash out 2m for his countryman. Stokes, however, struggled to establish himself at the Stadium of Light, spending spells on loan at Sheffield United and Crystal Palace.

The arrival of Darren Bent from Tottenham Hotspur in a 10m move last month pushed him further down the pecking order and opened the door for his return to Scotland.

The addition of Stokes should complete a formidable striking force for Hibs following the loss of Steven Fletcher to Burnley over the course of the close-season, the Dublin-born forward well aware he'll face stiff competition from Derek Riordan, Colin Nish, Abdessalam Benjelloun, Jonatan Johansson and the emerging Kurtis Byrne for a place in the team.

The Evening News understands that Hughes aims to include him in the squad against Falkirk tomorrow, a match already carrying an edge with the Hibs boss, Cregg and McBride all due to face their former club.

Today, Hughes admitted he expected the sort of welcome accorded those returning to former stomping grounds but insisted it was a match he was relishing saying: "I'll always be grateful for the opportunity Falkirk gave me as a player and then manager. I walked away a proud man when I left the club which I left in good nick."

Meanwhile, Hughes revealed he intends to clamp down on misbehaviour on the field after Hibs were hit with a 20,000 fine by the SFA for their poor discipline last year. Despite halving the number of red cards shown – five compared to the ten which brought a 10,000 penalty last year – the Easter Road club were one of four SPL clubs fined, the others being Hearts, Kilmarnock and Falkirk.

And despite claims from Ivory Coast internationalist Sol Bamba that Liverpool along with French clubs Lorient and Grenoble were interested in him, Hughes insisted there had been no contact from any club regarding his defender.