O'Neil happy at Boro

Skipper insists he will still stay on at Riverrside

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 22nd April 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

O'Neil happy at Boro

O'Neil: Happy to stay

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Gary O'Neil has insisted he is more than happy to stay with Middlesbrough.

The 26-year-old midfielder was at the centre of controversy earlier this month as Boro brokered a deal with his former club Portsmouth to allow him to continue playing for the club.

Boro were due to pay Pompey £1million after O'Neil's 100th game for the Teesside outfit.

After lengthy talks with the Premier League club, Boro agreed a deal which saw them pay an initial £500,000.

Many reports suggested Boro would not pay anything, and would simply not use O'Neil again as they were planning to sell him in the summer.

But O'Neil, who has been named the club's Player of the Year, insists he is more than happy to see out the two years left on his current deal.

"The truth of the matter is Middlesbrough have now reached an agreement with Portsmouth, I believe, so I can play the last two games and I don't believe there's any problem in my future," he told the Gazette.

"I'm captain of the club and I believe the club is looking to keep me. I may be told differently in the next few months but we'll wait and see.

"I've still got two years left. I've given it all I can to try and get us up this year, it didn't work out. If the club ask me to do the same again I will do.

"The club have stood by me, they've paid a lot of money for me, they pay us all decent wages and the fans pay a lot of money to come and support us so all the while I'm here I'll give 100 per cent."

Annoyance

O'Neil admits the recent disagreement between the two club was annoying.

"It was worrying for a while when I was stuck on 99. I thought that maybe I'd played my last game," he said.

"I didn't even know at the time it (Crystal Palace) was my last game.

"Then, at 7.30 on Friday evening, I got a little note from the gaffer saying I could play."

O'Neil is hopeful next season will see Boro push for promotion.

"With two managers and, I think, we've used 38 players, there's been a lot of changes and it's been a tough season for everyone," he said.

"Expectations were high, especially with the start we got off to, so it's been a disappointing season, as it was last year. Hopefully, next season we can strengthen and keep a more settled side and push for the top two spots.

"The lads and the management know what it's going to take next year, more than we did this year.

"A lot of the players hadn't played in the Championship before, but we'll be ready for it next season definitely, and hopefully we'll have enough quality to be where we need to be."