RUDY GESTEDE is determined to kick-start his career after returning to the Premier League courtesy of a £6m move to Middlesbrough.

Gestede was confirmed as Boro’s first signing of the January transfer window yesterday as he penned a three-and-a-half year deal on Teesside.

The 28-year-old Benin international will train with his new team-mates for the first time this morning, and is set to go straight into the Boro squad for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie with Sheffield Wednesday.

Having made his name at Cardiff and Blackburn, he has suffered a frustrating two years since moving to Aston Villa in January 2015. He was unable to prevent Villa slipping into the Championship last season, and has scored just four goals in 18 Championship appearances during the current campaign.

Villa boss Steve Bruce repeatedly overlooked Gestede in order to play a combination of Ross McCormack, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Jonathan Kodjia, but Aitor Karanka regards the striker as a better alternative to Alvaro Negredo than both Jordan Rhodes and David Nugent.

Both Rhodes and Nugent could leave the Riverside before the end of the month, and Gestede is determined to seize his opportunity to prove he is capable of succeeding in the top-flight.

“I’m very happy to be here, and to be back in the Premier League,” said Gestede, who played alongside Rhodes at Blackburn as the pair shared 43 goals in the 2014-15 season. “It’s a strong squad, they’ve shown that in the first half of the season that they deserve to be here. So I’m very happy and I’m looking forward to starting.

“When I saw the way Boro play with the manager and the players that were already here, it was an easy decision. I wasn’t playing much at Villa, and now I’m back in the Premier League so it’s a very good move for me.”

Gestede has become the third Villa player to leave the Midlands for Teesside since the end of last season. Brad Guzan moved on a free transfer, while Adama Traore joined Boro for £6.5m, with Albert Adomah moving in the opposite direction.

Powerful, athletic and strong in the air, he should suit Karanka’s preferred formation, and the Boro head coach will hope he proves adept at holding the ball up and linking play, qualities that have not always been evident in the first half of the season.

With Negredo likely to be rested this weekend, he could find himself in the starting line-up on Sunday, and his settling-in process should be aided by the presence of so many familiar faces.

“It’s always a pleasure to see them (former team-mates),” said Gestede. “I was in touch with Jordan over a few texts and I’m happy to see Adama and Brad as well.

“It’s always good to see someone you know, and they’re good people so that helps. I’ve been welcomed very well.

“Everyone in the changing room introduced themselves, so it’s been good. Obviously it’s easier when you already know people. They did a good job in introducing me to everyone.”

Boro considered a move for Gestede in the summer, and were quick to resurrect their interest once the striker concluded he had to leave Villa Park in order to further his career.

“I think my agent did some good work to get in touch with the club,” added the France-born forward. “Both parties were happy and we made the deal.”

As well as completing Gestede’s signing yesterday, Boro officials also recalled Dael Fry from his loan spell at Championship side Rotherham United.

Fry moved to the New York Stadium in the summer, but has not featured for the Championship’s bottom side since early November after falling down the pecking order.

The 19-year-old centre-half signed a new five-year deal with Boro in August, and Karanka does not want him rotting in the reserves at a lower-league club.

He will spend the next couple of weeks training with Boro’s first team before a decision is made over whether to send him back out on loan for the final four months of the season.

Boro were also involved in some outgoing transfer activity yesterday, with midfielder Julien de Sart agreeing a season-long loan to Derby County.

De Sart joined Boro in a £2m deal from Belgian side Standard Liege in the summer, but his only senior appearance came in August’s EFL Cup defeat to Fulham.

He will join former Boro boss Steve McClaren at Derby, with the Rams sitting on the edge of the Championship play-off places after recovering from a shaky start.

Boro have also fielded some interest in Daniel Ayala, with Turkish side Galatasaray currently leading the race for the out-of-favour centre-half.

Having failed with a bid for Genclerbirligi’s Ahmet Calik, Galatasaray have turned their attentions to Ayala, who did not even make the substitutes’ bench as Boro drew with Leicester on Monday.