Neil Warnock makes revealing admission after overseeing surprise Middlesbrough transfer

Former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock admitted he wasn’t seeing ‘eye to eye’ with Djed Spence when he allowed the wing-back to join Nottingham Forest, whilst the form of Isaiah Jones convinced him it was the right call.

Boro loaned the England U21 international to their fellow Championship side back in the summer window when Warnock was in charge, with Spence going on to perform incredibly well for Forest.

His displays at the City Ground have caught the eye of several top clubs, with Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Spurs all credited with an interest in the wing-back.

Therefore, Boro are likely to get a big fee for the player in the summer, but it could still be a decision they regret if Forest pip them to promotion. And, speaking to the Northern Echo, Warnock explained why he sanctioned the move.

“Me and Djed had had a few run-ins, and we weren’t really seeing eye to eye. There were a few things that had been going on in the background, and then suddenly you had Isaiah bursting onto the scene.

“It quickly became obvious that it was going to be a straight choice of one or the other if we were going to be playing a system where one would be at right wing-back. My choice was to go with Isaiah.”

The verdict

This was a big call from Warnock at the time and it’s hard to say whether it’s one that Boro regret.

On the face of it, Spence’s performances at Forest would make you think it was a huge mistake but the reality is, as he pointed out, it would’ve been hard to get Spence and Jones into the same team.

So, you have to appreciate his honesty here and Boro are likely to get a massive fee for Spence when he does leave in the summer, so from that perspective it’s a loan that has worked out very well for all parties.

Thoughts? Let