Kevin Thomson admitted the lure of playing in the Barclays Premier League was a key factor in leaving Rangers to sign for Middlesbrough.
Thomson has swapped the Champions League for the npower Championship, but his £2million signing has consolidated Middlesbrough's status as title favourites.
"It's a new challenge and a fresh start for me," Thomson told www.mfc.co.uk.
"The Rangers fans were great to me and I'll never forget my three-and-a-half years there.
"I won back-to-back titles, we reached the UEFA Cup final and we picked up a couple of cups along the way too, so it was a successful time.
"Now I'm ready to take a new step in my career. My ambition is to play in the Premier League and I think I can do that with Middlesbrough."
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