COVENTRY City last night completed the £1m capture of Middlesbrough's Keith O'Neill.

The 25-year-old signed for the Sky Blues after passing a medical and goes straight into the squad to face Stockport County in the Division One clash on Saturday.

O'Neill, who has 12 Republic of Ireland caps, will play left midfield for Gordon Strachan's men and is seen by his new manager as the player to complement David Thompson on the right flank.

O'Neill was signed by former Boro boss Bryan Robson in 1999 for £700,000 from Norwich City. But the Dubliner was never likely to be a part of new manager Steve McClaren's plans, especially with the arrival of Manchester United pair Jonathan Greening and Mark Wilson. Both flew out with the rest of the squad on the mini-tour of Holland yesterday, but had still not actually put pen to paper.

Club officials have been trying to push through a deal quickly to allow them to play in today's match with Willem II Tilburg (kick-off 5pm).

Failing that, the midfield duo are expected to have signed in time to play some part in the Den Haag game on Saturday.

Two other current Boro players did not travel to Holland and they look increasingly likely to leave the Riverside.

Steve Vickers, who has urged McClaren to either play him or sell him, and Phil Stamp were said to be considering offers from London clubs.

Centre-back Vickers is thought to be a target for Crystal Palace, but it is unclear whether he would be tempted to move that far south.

The same problem is currently weighing on Stamp's mind. The 25-year-old has been mulling over an offer from Millwall over the past few days after the two clubs agreed an £800,000 fee.

However, Stamp is keen to stay in the North-East and the decision to uproot is proving to be a difficult one.

Lions' boss Mark McGhee said: "It's a big decision for Phil and we're prepared to be patient because he has to be sure it's the right move for him."

Meanwhile, former Boro midfielder Alan Moore has joined Burnley on a three-month contract. Moore, who left the Teessiders on a free transfer in the summer, has been given the short-term deal with a view to making the switch permanent.

Read more about the Boro here.