Yeates completes Blades switch

SHEFFIELD United have completed the signing of winger Mark Yeates from Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee. Yeates, 24, put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal after a successful medical at Bramall Lane. He will not be available for the FA Cup clash at Bolton on Saturday after appearing for Boro earlier in the competition. Blades manager Kevin Blackwell said: "He's a player we have looked at before. I've had my eye on him for a year or two, but we couldn't agree terms with Colchester. "I'm delighted to finally get my man, although I was surprised Boro would let him go." Dublin-born Yeates, who started out as a trainee at Tottenham where he had loan spells at various clubs, joined Colchester for an undisclosed fee in July 2007. He became former Boro manager Gareth Southgate's first signing at the Riverside in July last year for a reported fee of £750,000, but despite making 21 appearances this season did not figure in new boss Gordon Strachan's plans.

Source: Northern_Echo