Soccer-Litmanen joins Fulham until end of season

LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Former Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona and Liverpool playmaker Jari Litmanen has joined Fulham until the end of the season, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

The 36-year-old Finland international, once part of the great Ajax side that won four Dutch titles and the European Cup in 1995, joins the struggling London club along with fellow Finn Tony Kallio who has signed from Swiss side Young Boys.

"I don't think there is a need to explain the qualities that Jari possesses as a player or the obvious reasons for wanting to bring him to Fulham," manager Roy Hodgson said on the club's Web site (www.fulhamfc.com).

"I am delighted that he has agreed to join us for the remaining months of the season. Although he is not entirely match fit at the moment, I have no doubt that he will have a big part to play over the coming months."

Litmanen, who has 110 caps for Finland, was part of the Liverpool side that won a cup treble in 2001 before he returned to Ajax. He has recently played for Hansa Rostock in Germany and Swedish club Malmo.

Fulham are second from bottom of the table with 16 points from 24 games and are four points short of the safety zone.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ken Ferris)