CHRIS WILDER has backed Middlesbrough's new Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz to provide his shot-shy side with an attacking “presence, power and focal point”.

Muniz will wear the number nine shirt after Boro completed a season-long deal with Fulham for a player who could rekindle Teesside’s love affair with ‘Samba Stars’.

The 21-year-old’s arrival is bound to revive memories of the mid-90s when Juninho and Emerson joined Bryan Robson’s Riverside Revolution after a long-standing pursuit of the player paid off.

“Rodrigo will give us presence and power and provide a focal point at the top of the pitch,” Wilder said. “He’s a player the club have history with and we tried to sign him last year. He’s a real talented player and we’re delighted to have him here.”

With striker Chuba Akpon sidelined with a knee injury, Boro fans will be desperate for Muniz to hit the ground running with Boro currently sitting second-bottom of the Championship following a 1-0 defeat at Reading.

“I want us to be able to mix our game up, especially when our opponents are sitting deep and I know Rodrigo will allow us to do that,” Wilder added.

“If you look at the top of the pitch, Chuba (Akpom) is injured, Duncan (Watmore) couldn’t start so we went with young Marcus Forss who tries to run off the shoulder.

“We haven’t got anybody to offer us a physical presence at the top of the pitch without Chuba. But I want us to mix things up in attack and Rodrigo will give us the chance to do that.”

His arrival takes the tally of new signings at the Riverside this summer to nine but Wilder says he is still hoping to add three more players to his squad.

“After Rodrigo we're still looking to bring in three players and then the squad will be set,” Wilder said. “Some say you can say judge us after the transfer window shuts and we’re hopefully at our strongest and we’ve got in all the players we want. But I’m not built like that and I’m as disappointed now as I've ever been as Middlesbrough manager.”

Wilder continued: “If we carry on like we have been doing, then the end of the table I’m going to be looking at come the end of the season is not the one I want to be looking at.

“If some comfy footballers think this is a comfy place to play, they’re most certainly not understanding my attitude towards things. But right now we need to get a win by hook or by crook.”