Maccarone sets sail from Riverside
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2007 21:22
Southgate has allowed Boro's record signing to exit
Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone has signed for Serie A side Siena on a free transfer.
The Italian returns to his homeland on a three-and-a-half year deal after a problem with paperwork was resolved between the two clubs.
It brings to an end a largely unhappy spell on Teesside for the 27-year-old who was Boro's record signing when he arrived from Empoli for £8.15 million in 2002.
But despite the hype surrounding him, once in the Premiership Maccarone was never able to replicate the strike-rate that convinced Steve McClaren to pay out such a large amount.
A paltry 24 goals in 102 appearances is all he could manage during his time in the north-east, although two of those strikes were dramatic late winners in last season's Uefa Cup run.
With appearances evermore sparse under new boss Gareth Southgate, who seems to have settled on a front pairing of Malcolm Christie and Yakubu, the forward has decided to head back to a club he spent some of the 2004/5 season on loan at in a bid to jump-start his stalling career.