Middlesbrough Football Club News

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

• Ground:Riverside Stadium
• Capacity:35,049

Downing happy at Boro

08 Aug 2006 - 17:20:05

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Middlesbrough's England winger Stewart Downing has banished any lingering thoughts of a move away from the Riverside, following a summer of frenzied speculation.

The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Spurs for a couple of months, despite Boro being adamant that a deal was not on the cards.

Downing told the Evening Gazette: "It's flattering to be linked with clubs, but I'm contracted to Boro for four more years.

"I'm happy to stay, I want to stay and there's no reason for me to leave.

"I said at the start of last season that I could achieve European football and fulfil my international ambitions at Boro and a lot of people laughed.

"But we ended up in the final of the UEFA Cup, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and should have won that game, and I played in the World Cup.

"We were disappointed with our performance in the league last season and we ended up concentrating on the cups.

"We have a lot of young talent. The young lads are pushing the senior players and with a couple of signings, we will be strong enough to compete."