West Ham United have completed the signing of Middlesbrough's Gary O'Neil for an undisclosed fee.
Boro midfielder on the move
West Ham United have completed the signing of Middlesbrough's Gary O'Neil for an undisclosed fee.
Boro agreed terms with The Hammers on Monday, and he has wasted little time in passing a medical and finalising his move.
O'Neil has penned a two-and-a-half-year deal at Upton Park, and could be in line to make his debut in their Carling Cup semi-final second-leg at Birmingham City on Wednesday as he is not cup-tied.
The fee is undisclosed, although it is understood to be up to £1.2million for the 27-year-old.
Pleased
"I am really pleased to sign. It all happened very quickly. I played for Middlesbrough at the weekend and didn't know anything was going to happen. It has all gathered pace since then," O'Neil told West Ham's
official website.
"There was also a big rush to do it quickly when they realised I wasn't cup-tied.
"I enjoyed my time at Middlesbrough, the fans and staff were really good but it has been a difficult time on the pitch. It is nice to be back in the Premier League and play at the top level, which everyone wants to do. I am London born so it is good to come home.
"It is great that the club have such a massive game to look forward to. I haven't trained yet with the team so it is up to the manager of course if he wants to use me.
"I will take it one step at a time but it is a big game and it could be a case of straight in at the deep end if involved.
"I've watched the team a lot this season. I know Avram, Grovesy and Colesy from Portsmouth. It is a great side with top players but they just suffered from a tough start. I know we have enough quality to get out of it. I have been in a couple of relegation battles, including at Portsmouth, so hopefully that experience will help.
"It is always a bit nerve-wracking going to a new club but I should settle in quickly. I did my schoolboy stuff here for a couple of years when I was 13-14 and trained on a Tuesday and Thursday under Tony's staff. It was quite good and it helped me a lot in my career before I went to Portsmouth."
