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Viktor Fischer will have to adapt quickly to the physicality of English football, warns ex -Middlesbrough FC striker Mikkel Beck.

Boro's first signing of the summer impressed in the Eredivisie for Ajax, hence his £3.8m switch to the Premier League.

But fellow Dane Beck, who moved to England from German side Fortuna Cologne when he joined Boro 20 years ago, knows how hard it can be to settle in such a demanding environment.

“Viktor’s a footballer who often plays out wide, but maybe not a typical winger,” Beck told www.mfc.co.uk .

“(He’s) more a winger who moves a lot and wants to be in the game.

“ He’s not an out-and-out winger who wants to go past people all of the time, he comes central and joins in the game.

“But he can also play just behind the striker where he moves around a bigger target man. He’s a good football player.

“We’ll have to see how he adapts to English football,” added the 43-year-old former Denmark international.

“What will be the biggest challenge for him will be the physical side because he’s not really the strongest-built player.

“It will be interesting to see how he copes with the physicality of English football because technically he is sound and there will be no problems there.

“That will of course help him at the start but as we know very well it all depends on how his football is going to evolve.

Read more Watch Boro new boy Viktor Fischer score for Denmark vs Bosnia

“I know all about Viktor, he’s Danish. He’s someone who came up very young and was only about 18-years-old when he started playing for Ajax.

“He had a very promising start but sadly for him injuries have more or less stopped his progression.

“He’s had a few difficult years so I think this move was important for him to get away from Ajax and start out at a new club to kick-start his career. That’s how I see it.”

Beck was part of Bryan Robson’s all star team that he assembled over the 18 months that followed promotion in 1995.

Other high profile signings included Fabrizio Ravanelli, Juninho and Emerson. The club reached two Wembley finals in 1997 but ended up being relegated.

Despite that setback, Beck enjoyed his time on Teesside, spending almost three years with the club before joining Derby County.

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He believes it’s vital that Fischer settles in quickly.

“If it is going well then I’m sure he will be very happy,” said Beck.

“I’m sure everyone on Teesside will help him to settle quickly and hopefully help him to become a good player for Middlesbrough.

“I would advise him to keep a low profile, get stuck in on the training ground and start well in the games. Certainly also be ready to fight for the team and be ready for the physical challenge but I’m sure he’ll be okay.

“I think he will settle well as long as his football is going well,” he added.

“Teesside is a place with lots of nice people and you feel very welcome when you come as a foreigner.”

Fischer scored for Denmark in a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Japan earlier today.

He started the game and was subbed in the 61st minute.