By Craig Hope

NEWCASTLE United have completed the signing of Wayne Routledge on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Queens Park Rangers.

The jet-heeled wideman, who has been cleared to make his debut against former club Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, joins for an undisclosed fee from the Loftus Road club and will wear the No.10 jersey for The Magpies.

Routledge, 25, was part of the Hoops side which drew 1-1 at Gallowgate earlier in the season and caught the eye that night with a string of right-wing raids.

Pacey and direct, the Sidcup-born star first burst onto scene at Palace as a 16-year-old and helped the club to promotion from the Championship in 2004.

He was an ever-present in the Eagles side which battled in vain against relegation from the Premier League, but he remained in the top flight when he was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2005.

A broken foot curtailed his early progress at White Hart Lane and loan spells at Portsmouth and Fulham followed.

His Cottagers debut came as a substitute at St.James' Park in 2006 and it was the former England Under-21 ace who spun the game on its head.

Trailing by a goal to nil with seven minutes remaining, Routledge laid on two quick-fire goals as the visitors left Tyneside with maximum points.

A permanent move to Aston Villa followed and, after a loan spell at Cardiff City, he signed for QPR in January, 2009.

Routledge netted seven times from 49 appearances for the Londoners before his switch to the North East.