THE lure of regular first-team football persuaded Ray Parlour to take a substantial pay cut to join Steve McClaren's ambitious Middlesbrough.

With a year still remaining on his Arsenal contract, believed to be worth a basic £780,000 a year, Parlour has opted to plan for his future by moving to Teesside and agreeing a less lucrative three-year deal.

It brings to an end a trophy-laden 13 years at Highbury for the 31-year-old, whose list of honours includes three Premiership titles and four FA Cup wins, and he insisted he wants to add to his medal collection at the Riverside.

Parlour, after arriving on a surprise free transfer deal with no signing-on fee, even suggested there was a possibility that Boro may well be the only club he plays for before deciding to retire.

"The length of contract was a big reason why I came here. There have been a lot of players dropping down from the Premiership but I want to stay in the Premiership as long as I can," said Parlour, who has turned down another chance to play in the Champions League with the Gunners.

"There comes a time and an age when you just want to play football and not sit on the bench like I did on a number of occasions last season. Arsenal are a massive club and I have now got to earn the right to be in the team here.

"I have now got an opportunity here at Middlesbrough and I would like to finish my career in the Premiership if I can. This is a great step towards doing that.

"When I was deciding my future I looked at the players that have been brought in. Middlesbrough are in Europe this year as well and the UEFA Cup is a tough competition. It's still a big challenge for me to come here. Life's an experience and this is a new experience for me."

Parlour turned down the chance to play for five other clubs - four of them of Premiership status - in favour of joining Boro.

And, like McClaren's other three summer signings, his capture continues to show the manager's change of transfer policy since this time last year.

The Boro boss had adopted the buy young, buy British approach to making new additions but, in a bid to try to build on last season's Carling Cup success, he has added four players with a wealth of experience to their names.

As well as Parlour, Dutch internationals Michael Reiziger and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink are both thirty-somethings while Mark Viduka, at a cost of £4.5m, has also enjoyed a number of years in the professional game at Leeds and Celtic.

McClaren concedes he has changed his tack but believes all four, with Bolo Zenden also due to complete his move early next week, will strengthen Boro's position in the Premiership.

"We have brought in players with proven Premiership experience, with the exception of Reiziger," said McClaren. "This is the strongest squad we have had here. The players around the place at the end of last season knew we had to bring new faces in.

"Around the 30-year-old mark is the best age for players because it's when you become a player. If you've claimed medals along the way then there's also the experience of winning and that's what we lacked last season. We have a squad which should be competing for the honours this year.

"The acquisition of Ray is very important to us. He has a great attitude and you know what you are going to get from him. But he has tremendous pedigree and he is a winner.

"He has won medals before and he wants to win again. That's important, the players that are coming through the door all want to win more medals."

Parlour has worked with some of the world's greatest footballers during his time at Highbury - having played alongside Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and David Seaman to name just three.

But the Romford man is convinced his new club have their own fantastic talents and, with a few weeks until the opening match with Newcastle on August 14, he expects Boro to be a force in the up-coming season.

"Middlesbrough are a massive club and with time I'm sure they can win more trophies," said Parlour, who is due to play against Arsenal with his new employers in the second game of the campaign.

"It's a good squad and there have been some great signings in recent weeks.

"Hasselbaink and Viduka up front is a great firing line to have; the midfield looks after itself and then there's the defence which has Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate at the heart of it.

"The team has the shape to do well this year but we have to gel and hopefully we can do that. You need games to get used to each other but training helps. I'm sure I won't have a problem to settle in. They made me feel welcome and hopefully we can have a good season."

Boro denied a report yesterday that Italian striker Massimo Maccarone is set for a loan move to Fiorentina.

Following the arrivals for Hasselbaink and Viduka, Maccarone's future has been clouded in doubt.

But Boro insist the striker is staying put and the player himself said: "I want to stay with Middlesbrough. I said last year that if I don't play then it's better I go but if I'm involved I'm happy."

* Maccarone, Juninho and Szilard Nemeth have all been included in the squad for today's trip to Preston (kick-off 3pm).

There will be no Parlour on show today.

Boro: Schwarzer, Nash, Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Taylor, McMahon, Sergio, Mendieta, Doriva, Job, Boateng, Downing, Greening, Juninho, Maccarone, Hasselbaink, Viduka, Nemeth