Skill and speed - but there are also doubts

IN Sontje Hansen, Middlesbrough have signed an exciting attacking player with the kind of traits that will get supporters off their feet. But there will be question marks around his ability to fit into Rob Edwards' current system, according to expert analysis from the Netherlands.

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Boro completed the signing of Hansen on Wednesday, having agreed a €3.5 million deal with NEC Nijmegen for the 23-year-old.

To get some insight into exactly what Boro can expect from their fourth summer signing, the Gazette sought the expert insight of Voetbal International's NEC Nijmegen correspondent Sander Janssen.

He said: "Sontje is a typical player who can create something out of nothing. He is a phlegmatic winger with depth, individual skill, and unpredictability. At NEC, he regularly showed things that others simply can't do.

"Sontje is quick and can be launched from the flank with through balls, something that happened regularly at NEC. This also makes him an important weapon on the counter. On the ball, he has a good dribble, although he often gets himself stuck in tight situations. That's part of the job as an attacker."

Asked for his strengths and weaknesses, Sander continued: "His greatest qualities are unpredictability, depth, and speed. In that sense, he's a typical winger.

Someone who can decide a match out of nowhere. On the other hand, he will also often attempt actions that don't come off, which can cause frustration among the fans.