Tarkowski targets win for Warburton

13 May 2015 16:17

Brentford defender James Tarkowski wants to deliver promotion to the Barclays Premier League to improve Mark Warburton's job prospects.

Warburton and assistant David Weir are leaving Griffin Park at the end of the season regardless of whether they guide the Bees to the top flight after a disagreement with owner Matthew Benham.

The Brentford boss is not expected to be short of employment offers having led them from League One to the Championship play-offs over the last 18 months, although he maintains the phone has still yet to ring.

Brentford head to Middlesbrough on Friday night trailing 2-1 from the first leg and Tarkowski is determined to ensure Warburton has at least one more game in charge - the final at Wembley.

"Ever since the news came out the boys have come together a little bit more and hopefully we can give the gaffer a good send-off with promotion to the Premier League," said the 22-year-old centre-back.

"It has spurred us on, knowing the gaffer is leaving at the end of the season, it brought us together. We know those two will be out of a job in the summer and looking for a job, so the better we do the better it is for them. "

Brentford will be big underdogs at the Riverside, having been beaten 4-0 there in September and also losing their other two meetings this season with Boro - including last week's last-gasp defeat.

But Tarkowski said: "I'd like to think we owe them one. They've had three wins out of us so far.

"We'll be looking to win, we need to win, so we have to go there positive, play open football like we do and looking to get the goals.

"It's the biggest game of my career. If we win we are one step closer to the Premier League.

"I've played in bigger stadiums and in front of bigger crowds, but in terms of the reward at the end of it this is the biggest game."

Source: PA