Boro have signed a 'very good pro' in Brownepublished at 17:34 3 September
Middlesbrough have got a "very, very good pro" in the form of deadline day signing Alan Browne, says BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes.
Browne, signed on a season-long loan from the Black Cats, made 23 Championship appearances last term after a decade as a stalwart in Preston's midfield.
Middlesbrough fans can expect Browne to be versatile and fit into a number eight or number six role, Barnes told BBC Radio Tees.
"He's strong, physical because he's big, tall, robust, likes to get forward, likes to get in and around the penalty area so is attack-minded," Barnes said.
Boro fans have been treated to a high-intensity pressing game under new head coach Rob Edwards' guidance this season, something Browne is comfortable with.
"That's his sort of game, even when he was sitting back a little bit deeper he still likes to get forward [and] likes to make runs through the middle," explained Barnes.
With Premier League newcomers Sunderland spending more than £160m on incomings this summer, the question of leaving was a matter of 'where', not 'if' for Browne.
"His family are settled in the north east, he's got young children," Barnes added. "He'd have been looking for somewhere not involving much travel.
"All in all, Middlesbrough have got a very, very good pro."
Listen to the full interview and more on Middlesbrough on BBC Sounds.
