Boro bag Thomson

Thomson: On the move

Middlesbrough have strengthened their Scottish contingent with the £2million signing of Kevin Thomson from Rangers.

The midfielder joins fellow countrymen Barry Robson and Stephen McManus at the Riverside Stadium.

He also follows in the footsteps of fellow Scotland international Kris Boyd, who recently joined Boro as a free agent after seeing his contract expire at Rangers.

Thomson has joined the striker on Teesside as he had less than 12 months left to run on his own deal at Ibrox.

With that in mind, and having seen Boyd leave for nothing, Rangers have decided to cash in on 25-year-old before it was too late.

Determination

A statement on the Scottish club's official website read: "As he was entering the final year of his contract, we felt the offer was good for both the player and the club."

Thomson becomes the fourth new signing of a busy summer for Boro, with boss Gordon Strachan looking to piece together a squad capable of securing promotion back into the Premier League.

Strachan told Boro's official website: "Kevin knows the game and he's got great determination about him, very much in the Robbo (Barry Robson) mould.

"He's also a more disciplined player than most but he isn't just a sitting midfielder.

"He's a very good passer, he retains the ball well and he scored some important goals in Scotland. He's an excellent signing."