MIDDLESBROUGH have increased their goalkeeper options by surprisingly re-signing Tomas Mejias as a free agent.

The Spaniard, who is still close friends with many of the Boro squad and has joined up with them in Austria, has signed a two-year deal having spent last season with Omnia Nicosia in Cyprus where he was a regular.

Mejias, a graduate of Real Madrid’s youth academy, was forced to head to Cyprus after struggling to force his way into the Boro first team between 2014 and 2018 under Aitor Karanka.

He was a regular understudy to Dimi Konstantopoulos, Victor Valdes and, more recently, Darren Randolph but was allowed to leave having not nailed down the starting spot he was expecting during Karanka’s time in charge.

Mejias has a strong relationship with Middlesbrough first team coach Leo Percovich, who was his goalkeeper coach in that first spell, and his most memorable moment for the Teessiders was in away victories against Manchester City and Manchester United in the FA Cup and League Cup respectively.

Mejias is also a familiar face to head coach Woodgate and he will now play compete with Randolph for the starting spot.