"I've known him for so long, I know his family and this is a special signing for me," Sam Hammam told the Echo today.
"But even more important is that he is a player who can play for Cardiff City in the Premiership. We can build our team around players like Robert Earnshaw, Danny Gabbidon and Jobi.
"West Ham have gone a different way by signing Teddy Sheringham and Sergei Rebrov and that has given us the chance to sign him. But this is not the first, second, third or fourth time we've tried to bring him to Cardiff. I was on the phone to Wimbledon about Jobi and other players the morning after the club went into administration."
McAnuff moved to West Ham from Wimbledon earlier in 2004. The Jamaican will be the 2nd Reggae Boy in the City squad and joins 11 other current internationals on the Bluebirds payroll.