Albion today wrapped up their first signing of the summer as they swooped  for Northern Ireland international Gareth McAuley.

The 31-year-old centre-half will officially join the Baggies on July 1 after passing a Hawthorns medical and penning a three-year contract.

Albion have beaten off competition from a string of clubs to agree the free transfer, which will come into effect when his Ipswich contract expires at the end of June.

McAuley will meet his new team-mates for the first time when he reports for pre-season training in early July and head coach Roy Hodgson is delighted to have strengthened his defensive options.

“I would like to welcome Gareth to the club and I am very pleased we have added a player of his quality and experience to our team,” said Hodgson.

“We believe it is the right moment for Gareth to embark on a Premier League career after doing so well for so long in the Championship and for his national team.

“We are also very happy that amid lots of competition for his services, we have managed to persuade him to join us.”

McAuley’s immediate focus is on his national team.

He is currently preparing for Carling Nations Cup games in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland tomorrow night at the Aviva Stadium and against Wales three days later.

McAuley captained Ipswich in his first season at Portman Road in 2008/09 and has gone on to build a reputation as one of the Championship’s best centre-halves, scoring three goals in 45 appearances this term.

The 6ft 3in, right-sided defender has won 28 caps for his country and his two goals came in a World Cup 2010 qualifier against San Marino and a Euro 2012 qualifier against Serbia.

He was handed the honour of captaining Northern Ireland against Slovenia in March and led them to a goalless draw.

The Larne-born player spent the first eight years of his career plying his trade in Northern Ireland with Linfield, Ballyclare Comrades, Crusaders and Coleraine, before moving to England to join Lincoln City.

Initially playing as a right-back for the Imps, he helped them reach the League Two play-off final in successive seasons and was named in the division’s 2005/06 Team of the Year.

A move to Championship outfit Leicester followed and he spent two seasons at The Walkers Stadium, scoring the equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Albion in February 2007 and notching the leveller in a 4-1 City victory at The Hawthorns 13 months later.

He made the switch to Suffolk when the Foxes were relegated to League One in 2008.

In total, he has made 295 English career appearances, including 12 as a substitute, scoring 25 times.