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James Milner has joined Aston Villa on a £12 million deal from Newcastle United after completing a medical this morning. The 23-year-old, who spent the 2005-6 season on loan at Villa Park has signed a four year deal with the club.

Times Online understands that Villa submitted a higher bid for the England Under-21 international late on Thursday night once news of rival interest from Everton emerged.

"James has got a great spirit about him and I definitely think his best years are in front of him," Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, said. "It was disappointing two years ago not to sign him when we thought the deal was done and dusted but it is nice to have got it all sorted this time."

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Villa and Everton had both offered in excess of £10 million for the winger - who submitted a transfer request at St James' Park last week - but Martin O'Neil's longstanding pursuit of Milner has won the battle for his signature. Milner becomes Villa's eighth signing of the summer

Kevin Keegan, the Newcastle manager, has repeatedly expressed his desire not to lose Milner, while the player himself would have been happy to remain on Tyneside had the club agreed to enter contract negotiations.

"It's not ideal in the short term, but Villa are the buying club and they have paid a lot of money for him," Keegan said. "At the end of the day it was my decision to sell him. We got an offer which I felt was good value. It might not look a positive move to fans at the moment, but what will happen in the next two to three days will be positive. I would not have sold him if it did not move the club forward."

Attempts to discuss an enhanced deal were repeatedly rebuffed by Dennis Wise, Newcastle's Executive Director, although Milner still hoped for a breakthrough at Keegan's purported meeting with Mike Ashley, the club's owner, this week. Newcastle's decision to release details of his transfer request appear to have forced the issue.

While the fee is a sizeable one, Newcastle's squad is already down in numbers from last season and the club have struggled to bring in new signings this summer.