Southgate delighted at O'Neil deal

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is "really chuffed" after a late move for Portsmouth midfielder Gary O`Neil.



The £5million move appeared to have hit a hitch early on Friday evening, but the deal was eventually completed with just an hour to go before the midnight deadline.

And Southgate said: "We've just completed the deal, we've very pleased and I'm looking forward to getting home to bed!

"Gary had an injury before the end of last season and had a little operation, so we needed to be sure everything was okay with that and that's why there was a delay earlier in the evening.

fond memories

"He's our player now so we're really chuffed. He's somebody I've been an admirer of for some time. And it's a position that our fans feel we've needed to fill for a long time."

O'Neil, 24, has signed a three-year contract at the Riverside. The former England U-21 captain played 175 league games for Pompey and was their Player of the Year in 2005-06.

The Bromley-born player has a reputation for scoring vital goals from midfield. Boro fans won't have too fond memories of him from the 2005/06 season, when he scored in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside and then hit the decider in a 1-0 victory at Fratton Park.