McAuley Signing Confirmed Wednesday, 18th Jun 2008 12:56 Town have confirmed the signing of Gareth McAuley on a three-year deal. The central defender signs from Leicester City for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £1.1 million to £1.5 million. The former Linfield, Crusaders, Coleraine and Lincoln man has been a Town target since the last transfer window when Jim Magilton had offers rebuffed by the Foxes. Another bid was turned down earlier in the summer. Foxes chairman Milan Mandaric confirmed last week's reports which claimed McAuley had asked for a transfer: "Gareth came to see me last week and told me of his desire to leave the club. "We would have liked Gareth to assist us in our quest for promotion next season, but his wish was to play elsewhere. "He has been an excellent servant to the club during his two years at the Walkers Stadium and we wish him all the best for the future." McAuley, 6ft 3in tall, joined Leicester on a free transfer from the Imps in the summer of 2006 after his contract at Sincil Bank came to an end. In February he signed a new deal which would have kept him at the Walkers Stadium until 2011, but which is understood to have included a clause which allowed him to leave the Foxes if an offer at a pre-agreed fee came in. The Larne-born centre-half, capped 10 times by Northern Ireland, will be remembered by many Town fans for scoring both goals as Leicester defeated the Blues 2-0 at Portman Road in February 2007.
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