Hamburg takes Papadopoulos on loan from Leverkusen

Relegation fodder Hamburg has enlisted the help of a defender with plenty of Bundesliga experience, signing Greek international Kyriakos Papadopoulos on loan until the end of the season.

The 16th-placed Lower Saxons announced the move with a statement on their website Monday.

Papadopoulos was on loan at German new boys RB Leipzig from Bayer Leverkusen, but after making just one 27-minute substitute's appearance against Borussia Monchengladbach in September, Roger Schmidt's side will be desperate for the centre-half to get some first-team minutes with Hamburg.

"With Papadopoulos we get a versatile defensive specialist with a great fighting spirit. We are very pleased that he will be in the HSV jersey in the future," Hamburg sporting director Jens Todt said Monday.

Papadopoulos' Hamburg spell will mark his fourth in Germany's top flight.

The Olympiacos academy product cut his teeth with the Piraeus giant and became the youngest player to debut in the Greek top flight (15 years, 283 days) before moving to Schalke.

A loan move followed before signing a permanent deal with Leverkusen, and after a letdown of a temporary switch to Leipzig, Papadopoulos will be pleased to join a side likely to use his services.

It certainly sounds that way.

"I am delighted that the change has been successful, and the HSV is a great club, I hope I can help the club and the team achieve their goals, I am fit and look forward to getting into the training tomorrow," the 25-time Greek centre-half told the club's website.