Much was made of manager Gordon Strachan signing 'half of Scotland', particularly Celtic, after acquiring 'Bhoys' Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen, but only one of the trio is actually Scottish.
As in the trio's first Boro game - the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United - it was Robson who made the biggest contribution to the press conference which formally announced the three new players.
Sat inbetween his former Celtic and now Boro team mates, Robson was clearly in control and seemed very happy to be at the Boro, and working under Strachan again, despite the cold.
"It's colder here than in Scotland!" he remarked.
"England was the place to come though, a place that I thought I could come down and do something, and I got the chance."
And the midfielder was very clear that the major draw of joining Boro was the chance to work with former Celtic boss Strachan.
"That was a massive a part of it for me" he said "because playing at Celtic, people ask why I wanted to go, if I wanted to go, but I got a phone call from Gordon Strachan.
"There's the chance of the Premiership as well, playing for Middlesbrough, a team that is trying to get [back] there. Obviously that appealed to me."
Asked what kind of manager Strachan is, Robson said: "Well, I think when you work under Gordon Strachan, first and foremost you need to work hard because everyone can have a bad game, everyone can have a good game but as long as you are putting the work in he understands that."
Despite his tendency to organise players on the pitch, Robson denied that he is the kind of 'leader' that Strachan has been looking for.
"I don't know about that. he said. "I think when you go out on the football pitch everyone leads. It is a team game, it is not about individuals. I don't see myself as a leader.
"If you can get 11 guys doing that it can make a big difference."
Robson knows that his addition to the squad is part of Boro's promotion push and that Premiership football is the ultimate aim for the club. He said: "I think you need to try to get up as soon as you can, that's the aim for the football club with with everyone i've spoken to.
"There are some exceptional players already here at the football club to work alongside the ones who have come in.
"The quality in the changing room, they are good enough to go on a little run to climb this division.
"This club is a massive club really like a Premier League team playing in the Championship, that's what I feel anyway, its just a matter of time before they are back in the Premiership."
But Gary Caldwell decided Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic was a better option for him. Robson though is philosophical about Caldwell's last minute defection.
"That's football. That's nothing to do with us, its disappointing because Gary's a great player.
"The boys here would have liked him, but there's other players who can come in."
Robson feels that Strachan invited the trio to Boro because he knows he can rely on them.
"We are all hard workers and honest players. We all give 100% whoever we are playing for." Said the midfielder.
The Scot was careful to not burn his bridges with Celtic, saying: "Well, sometimes its different when you leave a football club. When you are not playing, you are obviously relieved to leave, but when you are playing together its a bit different.
"I had a good time a Celtic, but I wanted to come to England and play.
"I wanted to see different stadiums and different players, I've played in Scotland for a long time.
"It was always good going away, playing in Europe because you want to play against the best players.
"I'm here now and I looking forward to helping Middlesbrough get back into the Premiership.
"The Championship is a great league, it is something I'm looking forward to. It is going to be a hard league and a good league, some of the players are internationals, it is going to be interesting.
"That's what football is about, when the going gets tough, pulling together.
"There was quality players at Celtic as well, internationals, but yes here there are guys who have played in the Premiership, probably the best league in the world, playing in the Premiership every week, they've got to be good enough.
"Celtic is a great club but I wanted a new challenge, and Gordon Strachan is a great manager."
He may be convinced of Strachan's abilities, but he himself does not want to be compared to the last Robson to grace the Riverside.
"Well I don't want to be mentioned in the same breath as Bryan Robson so don't write that whatever you do!" he exclaimed.
Robson looks likely to miss tomorrow's clash with Swansea at the Riverside, what would have been his home debut with a hamstring injury. However against Sheffield United, he was willing to get stuck in, vocal on the pitch and, particularly in the first half, bossed the midfield.
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 22/1/2010
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