Town's new loan defender is Middlesbrough's Matthew Bates. The 19-year-old, primarily a central defender, will be at Portman Road on Monday to start a loan spell which ends in January.

Bates, 5ft 10in tall, has made 21 starts for Boro plus 11 appearances as a sub but is yet to score a senior goal. The Stockton-born player had a two-month loan spell at Darlington in early 2005, making four starts.

A winner of the FA Youth Cup with Middlesbrough in 2004, Bates was capped at England U19 level alongside Mark Noble, having previously represented his country's U18s. In January 2005 he signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Teessiders.

Boss Jim Magilton told the club site that Bates has been a player he has been keeping an eye on for some time: "Matthew can play anywhere across the back four and I'm delighted he is joining us on loan.

"He's a player we have been watching for a while and he will be with us until January.

"He's an ambitious young player who has already experienced Premiership football and is hungry to come here and show us what he can do."

In September, Bates gained some unwanted national newspaper coverage after a former girlfriend posted nude photos of him on the internet.

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