Boateng happy to compete
28 Sep 2007 - 09:24:24
Captain George Boateng claims he is happy to fight for his place in the heart of Middlesbrough's midfield.
Boateng, 32, was left on the bench for last weekend's 2-2 Premier League draw with Sunderland following the arrival of £5million signing Gary O'Neil from Portsmouth.
But the veteran Dutchman claims he is happy to fight for his starting place as the arrival of new players means the squad has been strengthened.
Boro boss Gareth Southgate also bolstered his midfield options on transfer deadline day last month with the further capture of Egypt international Mohamed Shawky.
"There are certainly no automatic choices in midfield," admitted Boateng.
"I have been impressed with Gary in training. He is young and fit and capable of playing in several positions.
"Mohamed will need time to adapt to English football, but he will give us even more options.
"We all have to be versatile to play in different positions across midfield and no-one is complaining about that."