GARETH SOUTHGATE is keeping his fingers crossed that Mark Yeates passes a medical after Boro agreed a fee of around £500,000 to bring the highly-regarded winger from Colchester United.

Yeates was on the verge of leaving the U’s last summer, only for his proposed move to Crystal Palace to fall through, because of a failed medical on a damaged shoulder.

The 24-year-old Dubliner was at Rockliffe Park yesterday to put the finishing touches on his move and barring any last minute hitches, will soon be confirmed as a Boro player.

Southgate has beaten Championship rivals Bristol City, Sheffield United and Palace to secure Yeates who can operate on the wing or in a creative midfield role.

The midfielder suffered a dislocated shoulder against Sheffield United in February 2008 causing him to miss the remainder of the season and scupper his move last June.

He is regarded as a crowdpleaser with an eye for goal and equally adept with either foot. A regular watcher of the U’s described him as “full of energy, a bit fiery – the kind of player that gets fans excited.”

After persuading Matthew Bates to sign a three-year deal, Southgate is looking forward to Yeates becoming the latest part of his promotionchasing squad.

“We’ve been in negotiations with Colchester and we feel we are close to being able to do some sort of a deal there,” he revealed. “We’ve got to be mindful of covering everything.

We need players of Premier League quality but I want players who have played in the Championship and who have a hunger to push on and a desperate desire to play in the Premier League. We want a mixture of hunger, energy and quality.”

Colchester chairman Robbie Cowling added: “We have received an offer we feel is acceptable and assuming that Mark and Middlesbrough agree everything on a personal level we feel we are giving him the chance to continue his career elsewhere.”