South Shields complete 'biggest deal in club history' with permanent move for Middlesbrough forward Finch

South Shields have completed a major coup after securing the permanent signing of Middlesbrough forward Sonny Finch.

The Boro youngster was a somewhat surprise addition to the Mariners squad in January after he agreed to spend the rest of the season with the National League North title contenders. After making his debut as a substitute in a 3-0 win against Leamington, the 20-year-old grabbed his first goal for the club in a 1-0 victory against Southport just four days later and followed that up with another goal in a 2-2 draw at Marine.

A stunning individual effort in last weekend’s 4-1 home win against promotion rivals Merthyr Town took Finch’s tally to six goals in 13 games and the versatile forward has also provided eight assists during that time, with the latest coming when he set up on-loan Sunderland wing-back Oli Bainbridge to head home in the same game.

Finch has already spoken of how easy he has found settling into life with South Shields and he will now be a permanent member of the squad after penning a two-and-a-half year deal at the 1st Cloud Arena with an agreement senior figures at the club are describing as the biggest signing in their history.

Speaking after putting pen-to-paper, Finch said: “I’m absolutely delighted to get this done. I’ve really enjoyed my time here over the last few months, so making it permanent was an easy decision for me. From the moment I arrived, I felt at home. The lads, the staff and the fans have all been brilliant with me, and that made me want to stay. It’s a great club with real ambition, and I’m excited to be part of what we’re building here. I feel like I’ve developed a lot already during my time here, and I know there’s still more to come from me. I just want to keep working hard, contributing to the team, and hopefully we can achieve something special together. I can’t wait to get back out there and continue where we left off.”

Potential

The move is a major boost for Mariners manager Watson as he looks to lead his side into the National League this season. The former Gateshead and MK Dons assistant manager spoke of his surprise that he had managed to secure Finch on loan earlier in the season and expressed his understandable delight that South Shields have managed to land a player he believes has ‘real quality and potential’ on a permanent basis.

Mariners boss Watson said: “We’re delighted to bring Sonny into the football club on a permanent basis. He’s a player with real quality and potential, which he has demonstrated during his time here. This is an incredible signing for the football club and shows the ambition we have here. We’re all working as hard as we can to make South Shields FC the best football club it can be. Sonny wanting to sign here is a credit to the players and the culture they have created for players to really want to be part of what we’re building.”