Mark Travers is coming to Middlesbrough to feel the ‘buzz’ of playing again and hopefully to win promotion.

A key signing for Boro this month, they showed patience to wait for Bournemouth to sanction the loan move, feeling the Ireland international ticked all the boxes they needed after injuries to Seny Dieng and Sol Brynn.

The keeper has extensive Championship experience and has also impressed on the Premier League stage when given an opportunity too. But this season he’s made just five appearances for the Cherries due to being behind Chelsea loanee Kepa in the pecking order. Discussing his desire to play more in the second half of the season, he used his first interview with the club to highlight the factors that made him pick Boro.

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“I’m delighted to be here, get everything sorted and meet all the lads,” he said. “I can’t wait to get going on Monday. The waiting over the last few weeks were tough, but I’m delighted to get it done and come up here.

“There were a lot of things [sold him on the move]. It’s a really good squad, in a really good position in the league. The manager, all the staff, the set-up here, it was all really appealing to come up here and play my football.

“I’m like everyone, I want to play regularly and feel that buzz on match-day. So I was keen to go out this month and play, and try a new experience. I’m delighted that’s at Middlesbrough because it’s a great fit for me.

“I have international aspirations as well and, first and foremost, to get that you have to be on the pitch at club level and doing well. That’s my main focus now, try and play regularly here, and then hopefully things fall into place with Ireland as well.”

Travers arrives as Boro currently sit sixth in the Championship. Though form has been indifferent since Christmas, they remain right in the thick of the battle to earn a play-off spot with 17 games of the regular season remaining.

The 25-year-old previously won Championship promotion at the Vitality Stadium, keeping 20 clean sheets en route to a second-placed finish in 2022. With the chance to achieve promotion again at Boro, Travers is desperate to experience that feeling again.

He continued: “It’s a really exciting time when you’re pushing for promotion. The games come thick and fast, and of course there is a lot of pressure, but that’s where you want to be. It’s exciting.

“So coming here, the lads have already got themselves into an exciting position and now it’s about moving forward over the next couple of months and getting ourselves in that position come May. It’s good to have that promotion experience under my belt and have that feeling. I’m desperate to have that feeling again, especially here at Middlesbrough.”

It represents a big move for Travers, as well as Boro. It’s certainly not a short journey from the south coast to Teesside. But it helps the Ireland international that he knows Finn Azaz and Darragh Lenihan from the international stage, while he previously worked under Boro assistant head coach Jonathan Woodgate at Bournemouth too.

“Being a footballer, you never really know where you could end up,” he said. “It’s a bit of a journey up here, but I’m excited to play. The place looks really good, and I’m excited to be here and try a new experience. It’s another step in my journey and I can’t wait to get going.

“It’s always really good to see familiar faces, and it makes it easier coming into the building. It’s good that I already know those lads [Woody, Finn and Darragh], and I’m sure I’ll get to know all the rest of the players and staff really well over the next couple of weeks.”