GEORGE Boateng has warned new signing Gary O'Neil he has no fear of losing his place in the side to Middlesbrough's £5m man.

The deadline-day signing from Portsmouth was brought in to bolster the Teessiders' midfield with the 24-year-old expected to slot in on the right.

That would leave two central midfield places up for grabs with Boateng, Julio Arca and Fabio Rochemback all vying to start against West Ham in ten days time.

The skipper, however, is happy to play anywhere for the team, and insisted there is no chance he'll be demanding his preferred central midfield role.

"I will always do what's best for the team - I've even played right-back believe it or not," said Boateng, who has played right midfield in Boro's last two Premier League games.

"I am very versatile although I prefer the midfield. But it doesn't matter because I can play in any position.

"I personally don't fear my position or being left out - I just do my best in every game.

"I'm 31 going on 32, I've been through a lot in my career. I have no fear in terms of my position. All I have to do is play well and make sure the manager keeps on picking me.

"Gary O'Neil will add to the competition. He's fit, he has lots of Premier League experience and he can play in a number of positions.

"At the moment what's more important for me is that there is understanding there between me, Fabio Rochemback and Julio Arca."

Rochemback would appear the most likely to move to the bench at West Ham, with Boateng offering a more defence minded central midfield option at Upton Park.

But the fact that manager Gareth Southgate faces the dilemma of who to pick should be seen as good news for everyone at the club, according to the skipper.

Boateng said: "Yes there is competition but I don't mind. This is my sixth season here and I've never ever been stressed out and demanded that I should play.

"Even though I'm captain now I've never said it.

"The only way that I'm capable of demanding a place is by performing well and that counts for everyone.

"Make no mistake about it I'm willing to play in any position in midfield as long as I'm playing.

"The only way to guarantee your place is to play well and that goes for anyone coming into the side as well.

"They must prove themselves and play much better than "It's good for the team - we have a lot more depth now.

"In previous years if me or Fabio or Arca were injured for a while we had no back-up. Gary O'Neil can play in every position which is tremendous and can give people - not rest - but the option.

"If someone gets injured then we have people who can slot in."

Boateng, meanwhile, believes Jonathan Woodgate commands the same level of respect amongst his Middlesbrough team-mates as the player Gareth Southgate brought him in to replace - himself.

Woodgate has been at Boro just over a year and his skipper has put his influence on a par with that of the club's Carling Cup winning captain.

"I remember when Gareth Southgate was a player and he was playing behind me he gave me that insurance policy," said Boateng. "It's the same with Jonathan. As a team we have that same feeling with Jonathan Woodgate.

"We have the same confidence in him as we did with Gareth. "I know if he's in my back he's organising things behind me. He's the leader at the back and I do the midfield."

Boateng believes Woodgate will be back in the England set-up for next month's Euro qualifiers at home to Estonia and in Russia after being left out by McClaren.

The former Boro manager discussed Woodgate's fitness with Middlesbrough before omitting him from the current squad and Boateng is in no doubt that is a temporary measure.

Boateng said: "I think Jonathan should be in the England squad but not now. He hasn't had a pre-season and he's just coming back from a knee operation.

"Birmingham was only his second game in three months. I don't think it was the right time for him to go back into the squad.

"Eventually when he gets more games he will be back in the England squad."

That view was backed by Southgate who said: " I know Steve (McClaren) spoke with Malcolm Crosby and I never want to stand in players' ways in playing for their country - it's very important they go and do that - but he's (Woodgate) not match fit.

"I know he's played twice and his two performances have been excellent but he's way behind in the amount of training he's had.

"The ideal scenario for us and for Jonathan is that he gets a fair bit of training in over the next two weeks.

"I think Steve's got enough players both in terms of who he wants to start and back-up but I'm sure he'll have Jonathan back next month.