Middlesbrough Football Club

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

• Ground:Riverside Stadium
• Capacity:35049

Schwarzer wants Viduka stay

16 Feb 2007 - 13:23:48

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Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has urged team-mate Mark Viduka to sign a new contract and remain at the Riverside.

Viduka's current deal expires in the summer and the striker's Australia international colleague hopes the matter can be resolved sooner rather than later.

"It's always the way when you are coming into the last year of your contract that your future will be talked about," admitted Schwarzer.

"Mark is a very valuable player to the team and he is a very good player and there is always going to be a lot of speculation and media attention around him because of that situation.

"At the end of the day, he is playing football and scoring lots of goals and hopefully the club can sort something out.

"If not, that's the way football is. But from our point of view we hope he stays and if he doesn't we wish him all the best.

"I think all of the indications are there that he would like to stay but it's not up to me to make the decision - that's him and the club. It goes both ways."