Gordon Strachan backing Kris Boyd to 'score lots of goals' at Boro

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan is convinced Kris Boyd can transfer his record-breaking scoring form in Scotland to the English game.

The 26-year-old was officially presented as a Middlesbrough player yesterday, after leaving Rangers, and former Celtic manager Strachan told supporters to expect Boyd to be a major goal threat in the Championship.

"The chairman has done well and the club has done well to get Kris," said Strachan. "We know all about Kris and what he can do. Of course the fans are going to be excited. Kris is not a dribbler or a flamboyant player but he is the type of footballer who can score lots of goals. We like what we see of Kris and we think he will fit in well here. The only point he wants to prove is to do well for his team-mates and manager and he will do that by working hard for the team."

Former Kilmarnock striker Boyd overtook Henrik Larsson last season to become the record scorer in the Scottish Premier League, with 164 goals.

He then opted against signing a new deal with Rangers, following four-and-a-half years at Ibrox, and accepted a free transfer to the Riverside Stadium, where he has signed a two-year contract. Strachan had been keen on signing Boyd in the January transfer window but had to show patience. He added: "I have wanted to sign Kris since last December so this is the culmination of seven months of hard work. I always had an inkling that we might get him. We spoke to Kris in January as well, having received permission from Rangers.

"At that stage he decided to stay at Rangers, where he went on to help them to the championship, but it's great to see our patience has paid off."

Meanwhile, West Ham's attempts to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new Barclays Premier League season appear to have stumbled on at least two fronts. The Hammers, who will officially unveil new manager Avram Grant at Upton Park today, have admitted defeat in their attempts to sign German World Cup striker Miroslav Klose. Meanwhile, their hopes of landing former Portsmouth loanee Frederic Piquionne from French club Lyon also hang in the balance, with West Brom now also interested.

West Ham's co-owner David Sullivan has admitted that a deal to land Klose is unlikely to go through following the striker's prolific performances in South Africa. "We had a deal in place before the World Cup, after he had a bad season in Germany. However, as a result of what he has done at the World Cup, it's unlikely to happen," Sullivan said.