Strachan lands Osbourne

Osbourne: Two-month loan

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Gordon Strachan has continued to re-shape his Middlesbrough squad after signing Isaiah Osbourne on a two-month loan.

The Aston Villa midfielder joins striker Marcus Bent in making a loan switch to The Riverside outfit this week.

The 21-year-old has made just seven Premier League starts for Aston Villa and is yet to feature under Martin O'Neill this season.

Strachan, whose first game in charge is against Crystal Palace, believes the youngster will give Boro's midfield added steel.

"He's not a flair player, he's what I'd call a continuity player, but he'll also give us strength, height and get about the pitch," he told the club's official website.

Looking forward

Osbourne, who had a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, is looking forward to learning from Strachan and is keen to get games under his belt.

"I'm very happy to be here," said Osbourne. "Middlesbrough feels like a Premier League club, while I'm looking forward to working with Gordon Strachan.

"Before coming here, I first spoke to Martin O'Neill and Stiliyan Petrov about the gaffer and they both spoke highly of him.

"I'm here for two months and right now I'm looking no further than that but hopefully I will play a few games and can help the team.

"I played for Forest in the Championship last season so I know a little bit about what it's about. I know it's a lot quicker than the Premier, that's for sure!"