Southgate signs new contract with Boro

Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough captain,signed a two-year contract extension yesterday which will almost certainly see him end his career at the Riverside.

The 33-year-old England international signed to complete another good week for the Middlesbrough manager, Steve McClaren, following the summer signings of Michael Reiziger, Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ray Parlour and Bolo Zenden.

Southgate, McClaren's first signing, for £6.5m, after replacing Bryan Robson in 2001, said: "It's something that I took a long consideration over because, although I'm coming towards the end of my career, I don't want to waste any of the time that's left."

The Birmingham City winger Stan Lazaridis has signed a two-year contract which will keep him at St Andrew's until 2006. The 32-year-old had 12 months left of his previous deal and had been attracting interest from several other clubs. Steve Bruce, the Birmingham manager, also hopes to sign the injury-prone former Tottenham midfielder Darren Anderton, who has been training with the club, over the weekend. "It is a gamble well worth taking," Bruce said.