MIDDLESBOUGH'S new
signing, Marvin Emnes, will
start training with his new
team-mates on Monday, but
could find himself Beijing
bound come the end of the
month.
The 20-year-old became
Gareth Southgate's first signing
of the summer yesterday
when he completed a £3.2m
move from Sparta Rotterdam.
He will start work with his
new club with his fitness in
good shape, having spent part
of the summer training with
Holland's Olympics squad.
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Dutch coach Foppe de Haan
will trim his provisional and
extensive pool of players later
this month, when Emnes will
learn whether he will be in
China when Boro start their
new Premier League campaign.
If the speedy forward, a
sprinter during his teenage
years, is retained, then he
could miss all of Boro's preseason
programme.
After the trip to York on
July 18, Southgate's men head
for two matches in Portugal
and Emnes could be asked by
de Haan to join up for Olympic
preparations ahead of the
start of the Games on August
8.
If Holland progress to the
final, the Holland Under-21 international
would miss Middlesbrough's
opening two
matches, against Tottenham
and Liverpool.
Emnes, though, is looking
forward to his chance to shine
in the Premier League after
being impressed by Southgate's
powers of persuasion.
"I spoke to Gareth Southgate,
who made it clear that he
had seen me play and he was
very enthusiastic about me,"
said Emnes, who was given a
tour of the Riverside Stadium
a fortnight ago.
"Meeting Mr Southgate
made a big difference for me.
I am looking forward to working
with him."
Emnes snubbed the chance
to work with Dutch legend
Marco van Basten, who is taking
over at Ajax, and the offer
of staying in Rotterdam with
Feyenoord to move to the
North-East.
He will provide competition
for strikers Tuncay Sanli, Jeremie
Aliadiere, Afonso Alves
and Mido, while Southgate is
also likely to use the player as
a winger.
"I am happy to play with either
foot and my pace is one of
my best assets, but I know I
have to prove myself in English
football and I am keen to
do that," said Emnes.
"I can play on the wing, as a
striker or as a second striker,
but my favourite position is
just being in the team. If I am
in the team then I am happy."
Emnes, who will miss the
friendly with his former club
if he is selected for the
Olympics, played 55 games for
Sparta in the Eredivisie and
he was named the club's player
of the year last season.
Southgate said: "We feel we
have signed an exciting young
player in Marvin. Last season
was his breakthrough year at
Sparta Rotterdam and he
ended the campaign with a
flurry, scoring eight goals in
his final ten games.
"He fits the profile of the
sort of players we want at
Middlesbrough, in that he is a
young player with hunger, energy
and pace. There was a lot
of interest in Marvin and I
know that both Ajax and
Feyenoord were keen."
Boro complete Digard deal
DIDIER DIGARD finally completed
his drawn out move
from Paris St Germain last
night to take Middlesbrough's
spending to £7.2m
inside 24 hours.
After announcing the arrival
of £3.2m Dutch midfielder
Marvin Emnes yesterday
morning, Gareth Southgate
was in a position to put the
finishing touches to the Digard
deal at 6pm.
The 21-year-old French
Under-21 international, suspended
by PSG on Thursday
while he waited for the deal
to be completed, has signed
a four-year contract.
"He is a holding midfielder,
who is a good athlete and a
strong tackler," said Southgate.
"We've had our eye on him
for some time and we have
been impressed when he has
played for PSG and the
French side."
Digard has eight Under-21
caps and played for Le Havre
before moving to the Parc
des Princes. He has represented
his country from his
school days. His arrival, after
a disagreement over a fee between
the clubs that has carried
on for a number of
weeks could lead to the departure
of experienced former
captain George Boateng.
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