Middlesbrough this afternoon pulled off a major coup when they managed to persuade Jonathan Woodgate to make a permanent move from Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old England international, who is spending this season on loan at Boro from the Bernabeu Stadium, has sealed a £7million switch and will sign a four-year deal.

Woodgate's capture comes as a huge boost to chairman Steve Gibson and manager Gareth Southgate and is a reward for their patience after negotiating first refusal on the former Leeds and Newcastle defender last summer.

The player arrived back in England having endured a miserable run of luck with injuries which had limited him to only a handful of games for Real. However, having embarked upon a specially-designed fitness programme, he has returned to full fitness and his best form.

Woodgate has missed only eight of the 41 games Boro have played since his arrival and has performed so well, he was handed a return to international football in England's friendly clash with Spain in February.

Real announced, much to Boro's surprise, that he had completed a permanent move to Teesside during the same month.

But the club's hard work has now paid off and they have now landed a player whose return to form will not have gone unnoticed by the Barclays Premiership's big guns.

Woodgate will provide a solid foundation for Southgate as he plans his summer recruitment drive knowing he need not now worry about central defence.