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Kevin Thomson has completed his move from Rangers to Middlesbrough. The midfielder has signed a four-year deal to join Gordon Strachan's Scottish contingent at the Riverside.
Thomson completed a medical in Middlesbrough before puttting pen to paper on Thursday evening and the transfer will be announced by the club on Friday. The midfielder will take on the task of helping Boro to return to the Premier League after the club finished in 11th place in the Championship last season.
The transfer brings to an end a three year spell in Glasgow for the ex-Hibs star. In his time at Ibrox, Thomson won two league titles, one Scottish Cup and two League Cups in his time with the club, in addition to being part of the squad that reached the 2008 Uefa Cup final.
Thomson will join up with former Rangers team-mate Kris Boyd at Boro. When news of the clubs agreeing a fee was announced, Boyd spoke of his hopes that Thomson would travel south to join him.
"Kevin will be a good signing for Boro, but it's also good business for Rangers to sell him for £2 million,” Boyd said. "That's what he cost from Hibs three years ago so to get that money back, when there is only a year on his contract, must represent good news for Rangers.
"I'll be delighted if he comes here and joins us. Thommo had his problems with injuries but he came back even fitter and better.
"He's still a very good player and he also has plenty of Champions League experience."
Rangers boss Walter Smith, while disappointed to lose another experienced member of his first team squad, said there was sense in selling a player who would have been able to leave on a free transfer next summer.
“There are two sides to the Thomson deal in that he is going into the last year of his contract and, from the player's point of view, Middlesbrough can maybe offer more long-term security than he can have here,” Smith said.
"So we have that to take into account for all players and that's what's happened in the case of Kevin. We have had difficult decisions to make before and hopefully it will work out for all concerned."
