Dubliner Yeates joins Boro
Gareth Southgate today made his first summer signing when he sealed a move for Dubliner Mark Yeates from Colchester.
The 24-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-year deal after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical, and is now setting his sights on winning promotion to the Barclays Premier League.
Yeates said: “This is massive for me. There was interest from other clubs, but there was only one thing on my mind once my agent told me Middlesbrough had been in touch.
“This club belongs in the Premier League, the fans deserve to be there and I can’t wait to play in front of them.
“It’s a Premier club in my mind – all you have to do is look around the facilities, the training ground, the stadium, everything is spot-on.”
Yeates will link up with his new team-mates when they return for pre-season training next week and begin preparations for what they hope will be a short stay in the Coca-Cola Championship.
Former Tottenham trainee Yeates, who has been capped at Under-21 level by the Republic of Ireland, scored 12 goals in 42 appearances for League One Colchester last season.
The Dubliner played only four games and made just one start in five years at White Hart Lane, and had loan spells at Brighton, Swindon, Hull and Leicester as well as the U’s before making a £100,000 permanent move to the Essex club in July 2007.
He has been touted as a long-term replacement for England winger Stewart Downing, who is currently recovering from foot surgery which seems likely to delay a move away from the Riverside Stadium.
Downing has been avidly pursued by Spurs, who tabled their latest bid for him in January, for several years.
