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Tate joined Swansea permanently in 2004, after two loan spells from Manchester United

Crewe Alexandra have made an attempt to shore up the Football League's leakiest defence by bringing in Alan Tate on an emergency 93-day loan from Premier League side Swansea City.

League One's bottom side have shipped 21 goals in their first eight games.

That culminated in last Saturday's 6-1 defeat at MK Dons.

Centre-half Tate, 32, has made a total of 340 appearances for the Swans, but has not played for them since September 2012.

Since then Tate, who won promotion to the top flight with the Welsh club in 2011, has had loan spells at Leeds, Yeovil and Aberdeen.

Crewe boss Steve Davis also revealed that the club are looking to sign a winger and striker.

"I'm trying very hard to do that and we're just waiting for the clubs and the agents to get back to us on that," Davis told BBC Radio Stoke.