Darragh Lenihan's message from Mowbray, settling at Middlesbrough & feeling good after first outing

Darragh Lenihan is settling well at Middlesbrough and felt great after his first outing for the club at Bishop Auckland on Saturday. And having joined Boro this summer with the intention of winning promotion to the Premier League, he's excited about those prospects based on his first two weeks at the club.

Lenihan played the first 45 minutes at Bishop Auckland in what was his first appearance in a Middlesbrough since completing a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers this summer. The 28-year-old signed a four-year at the club after being sold on the club's ambitions during a conversation with manager Chris Wilder.

And after training with the group and playing alongside his new team-mates at Heritage Park last weekend, the Boro new boy feels that the club has so much in its favour to push hard this season for Premier League promotion. Feeling good personally after getting back on the pitch, the Republic of Ireland international is hoping he can play a crucial part in that success too.

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He said after the Bishop Auckland win: "It felt good. Obviously I’ve been in training the last couple of weeks but there’s nothing quite like playing a game. Obviously the manager has certain ideas of how he wants us to play and it was good to get that through in a game situation. I’m really enjoying it so far and it’s a great group of lads who have welcomed me very well, as have the fans, and it already feels like home, to be honest with you. I’m now just taking each day as it comes and looking to keep improving and get better.

“Middlesbrough is a club going in the right direction, with Premier League ambitions and that’s where I want to be.