Striker Jordan Hugill is determined to make an impact at home-town club Middlesbrough after signing on a season loan from West Ham.
The 26-year-old joined the Irons from Preston at the end of the January transfer window, in a deal reported to be worth £10million.
Hugill went on to feature three times as a substitute for West Ham, having made his Premier League debut at Brighton.
Born in Middlesbrough and a former season-ticket holder at the Riverside Stadium, Hugill had spells at non-league clubs such as Consett and Whitby Town. He joined Port Vale during the summer of 2013, switching to North End the following season.
Hugill, who scored 30 goals in 114 appearances with Preston, is relishing the prospect of lining up for Boro in the Sky Bet Championship as Tony Pulis’ squad look to secure a return to the top flight.
“It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited to get started,” Hugill said on the Middlesbrough website.
“It’s big move coming to my hometown club, and hopefully I’ll do myself justice.
“It’s something I’ve grown up wanting to do is play for Middlesbrough. I’d break my back to be here, now I want to show people what I can do.”
Hugill is set to join in training with the rest of the squad on Thursday, and could come into contention for Middlesbrough’s match against Birmingham on Saturday.