37 y/o makes Middlesbrough managerial admission

Former Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing has admitted he wants to become the manager of his old side in the future, writing candidly for The Coaches’ Voice.

The 37-year-old, who also represented England at an international level, enjoyed two spells at the Riverside Stadium and managed to get to a UEFA Cup final during his first, then going on to ply his trade for Aston Villa when Boro were relegated.

He rejoined the Teesside outfit in 2015, helping the club to secure a return to the Premier League but leaving four years after his arrival as he was released at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Joining Blackburn Rovers after that, he left Ewood Park last year and retired, going into coaching since via Boro’s academy where he is overseeing some of the second-tier side’s youth teams.

Although he is still in the early stages of his coaching career, Downing already has his sights set on a big role with the 37-year-old determined to make it as a manager, a long-term goal he has in his mind despite being open-minded about his future.

And the ex-England international has one particular job in mind as he seeks a return to the Riverside one day.

He wrote: “Ultimately, I want to get a chance to complete a set that would mean an awful lot to me. I’ve been a ball boy at Middlesbrough, played in the youth team, played for the first team, and captained the first team.

“The only thing that’s left for me to do is manage my boyhood club. If that’s going to happen at some point, I don’t know, but it’s the main ambition for this next stage of my career.

“I’ll keep working hard to try and make sure I get that opportunity.”

The Verdict:

Considering the work Chris Wilder is doing, he may have to be patient before getting the opportunity to