The 34-year-old adds a plethora of experience to the side, having made over 600 appearances for six different clubs across the Football League.

He joins Boro having been released by SkyBet League Two side Bradford City last May.

He is able to play in a number of different positions across the pitch, most notably as a wide midfielder, but can also fare as an attacking midfielder or at right back.

He began his career at Crewe Alexandra before joining Manchester United and was touted as a ‘future star’ by Alex Ferguson when he was a teenager.

He gained his first experience as a professional under former Manchester City defender Ian Brightwell at Macclesfield Town.

Double-figure goals and an abundance of success in his first season at the club saw him join Bradford City for an undisclosed fee at the age of 21.

Two years with the Bantams then saw him sign for Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United for two seasons, before putting pen-to-paper with Fleetwood Town in 2013.

He then notably swapped the West Coast for the South Coast in the summer of 2015, signing for League One outfit Portsmouth.

He would go on to become a club legend amongst the Pompey faithful, making nearly 200 appearances in a five-year spell at Fratton Park.

He finished as the top scorer in his first season at the club and would cement his place in the starting XI for years to come, as well as becoming their club captain in the 2018/19 season.

He left Pompey in September 2022 having become a champion of League Two and helped win the EFL Trophy at Wembley, scoring his spot-kick in a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win against Sunderland.

He signed for the Bantams shortly after leaving Fratton Park.