Matthew Hoppe details the many reasons Middlesbrough move made perfect sense

Matthew Hoppe says his move the Middlesbrough made sense for many reasons, with his goals to make it to the Premier League and represent the USA at the World Cup.

And after joining Boro from RCD Mallorca this summer, the 21-year-old striker is full of exuberance and excitement, firmly believing that both of those aspirations are possible within the next 12 months.

Hoppe is on the radar of USA national team head coach Gregg Berhalter having been capped six times and helping his country to Gold Cup victory last year. But after a frustrating spell in Spain last term, Hoppe lost his place in the national team as his club appearances were few and far between.

Chris Wilder on Matthew Hoppe, and not putting too much pressure on the new Middlesbrough striker

While Chris Wilder has described Hoppe as a developmental signing for Boro, there are high hopes internally about his prospects after an exciting breakthrough at Schalke before his move to La Liga, with a belief that he should be physically better suited to English football than Spanish. And with Wilder's preference to rotate his strikers, Hoppe should get plenty of opportunities to impress, providing he earns it, starting on the training pitches.

And speaking to the club in his first interview since joining the club, Hoppe certainly sounded determined to make a big impact. He said: “I’m really happy to be here. This is a beautiful stadium and I’m really excited to start playing here and to see all the fans. Football is full of ups and downs and I’m here to show what I’m capable of, and I’m ready to give 100%.

"When looking at it, everything made sense - the system, the team’s goals, their aspirations, my own aspirations. The club has put a lot of faith in me and I have