Middlesbrough Football Club News

• Nickname:Boro
• Founded:1876
• Manager:Tony Mowbray

• Ground:Riverside Stadium
• Capacity:35,049

Boro retain Woody hopes

27 Dec 2006 - 12:26:35

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Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is still desperate to try and secure a permanent deal for on-loan centre-back Jonathan Woodgate.

The 26-year-old England international is currently on a season-long sojourn with Boro from Real Madrid, but Southgate would like to be able to keep Woodgate at the Riverside in the long term.

He said: "I don't know what Real's position will be at the end of the season.

"Jonathan wanted to come here in order to get a season's football under his belt, but we can't hide the fact that we would like him to stay into the future.

"If we are to do that, we have to show him that our ambitions match his.

"I know that he enjoys his football at Middlesbrough and, as well as he is playing, we know there is more to come from him.

"So I would love to think that his future in football lies at Middlesbrough."