Southgate hopes to show Woody

Boro hope they can prove ambition

Last updated: 16th August 2008

Gareth Southgate Jonathan Woodgate Middlesbrough

Southgate & Woodgate together

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Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate hopes former charge Jonathan Woodgate sees some big changes at the club he left earlier this year.

Woodgate left his hometown club for Tottenham in January, citing ambition as his main reason for departing the Riverside Stadium.

Boro entertain Spurs in their Premier League opener on Saturday, which presents Woodgate with his first chance to face his former team-mates since leaving.

"I enjoyed working with Jonathan and I know he enjoyed his time with us," said Southgate.

"We helped to get him back to playing regular football again but when the offer came in to go to Spurs, he believed that they would be a little bit ahead of us.

Progress

"In the event they finished only a couple of places ahead of us in the Premier League.

"I know that Spurs fans are expecting progress this season, but so are we.

"I hope that Jonathan has a fantastic time at Spurs but I hope that we can spring a few surprises.

"We've seen Spurs' goals on TV and we know that they have done well in the summer. But then so have we, and hopefully Spurs haven't seen our goals.

"This should be a great game. It's a clash between two form teams and I hope that we can come up with something Spurs haven't previously experienced so far this summer."

Plenty of goals

Southgate also voiced his confidence that his side have plenty of goals in them.

"We have a goal threat right throughout our team now, and we hope to take full advantage of it this season," he said.

"There's a great spirit in the dressing room at the moment. We've got a good but small squad with a great character. The players cannot wait to get out there."

The Boro chief is also sure the club's record signing Afonso Alves will have a big season.

Southgate added: "We know that Afonso is full of goals if we can give him the ball in the right situations. One of his goals [in pre-season] at Rotterdam was phenomenal, and we hope he can score a few more like that.

"All strikers thrive on goals and Afonso is no different. He's come into top form at just the right moment and it's up to the rest of the team to ensure that he scores the goals he is capable of scoring for us."