The Falkirk manager, John Hughes, has signed Steven Pressley until the end of the season. The 35-year-old former Celtic and Hearts defender has trained with Falkirk and passed a medical yesterday having rejected an offer to join Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Pressley was keen to remain in Scotland after a spell in Denmark with Randers and he could return to action in the SPL when Falkirk face Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.

Pressley joins former Hearts team-mate Neil McCann, Jackie McNamara and Lee Bullen among the thirtysomethings that Hughes has recruited since the summer in a bid to improve on consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League.

However, with his side in danger of slipping to the foot of the table this weekend, Hughes has moved to bolster his squad with the character and leadership qualities he believes Pressley will bring.

The manager confessed that Saturday's 4-2 win over Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup and the subsequent pairing with Hearts in the fifth round played a part in securing the defender's services. "I'm delighted to get Steven in until the end of the season," said Hughes. "We were aware of his availability but couldn't get the money to do anything.

"However, getting through in the cup on Saturday helped and credit to my board for coming up with the finance. He's a player I have the greatest of respect for and his character and leadership qualities are what I need. He has been a leader all his days and the big thing about Elvis is he'll help take the burden off some of the others."

Hughes, who recently parted company with a 40-year-old in Russell Latapy, says Pressley is fit enough to go straight into his team, but he is aware he may have to go easy on him on the training pitch. "I need to do what Sam Allardyce did with his older players when he was at Bolton Wanderers," said Hughes.

"With guys like Neil McCann, Jackie McNamara and Lee Bullen, I need to treat them differently and make sure they get their rests and massages. If you do that they give you plenty back. If we get international clearance through, I'll sit down with him and speak to him and take it from there."

Hughes looked at Spanish goalkeeper Dani Mallo in a closed-door game against Livingston yesterday as he continued his search to find competition for Robert Olejnik following Scott Flinders' return to Crystal Palace.

Hughes said of Mallo: "If he shows up well we'll consider offering him a deal."

On the down side for Falkirk, Kevin McBride fears there could be a player exodus at the end of the campaign because the club seems to be delaying new contracts. The club have had to tighten their purse strings as they take stock of the credit crunch, which means those coming to the end of their current deals are unsure of their futures.

Campbell Christie, the chairman, has moved to quell suggestions the club are struggling financially. However, midfield player McBride is one of 14 players who will be free agents in the summer and he says it is unsettling him.

"I don't think we are in debt as a club but I don't think it's financially great just now, and there are a few players out of contract," he said. "I'm out of contract but I have not had talks yet with anyone at the club. If other things pop up, players might need to go, like myself. It looks possible that might have to happen anyway, I think there might have to be a few players going."