Cattermole still a Boro boy

Wigan star desperate to see hometown club stay up

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 20th February 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Cattermole still a Boro boy

Cattermole: Set for Boro return

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Lee Cattermole admits he is desperate to see Middlesbrough survive this season.

The Teesside-born midfielder left the club in the summer to join Wigan, after manager Gareth Southgate made it clear his first-team opportunities would be limited.

Cattermole returns to The Riverside this Saturday for the first time since leaving and he insists he will be doing his utmost to secure victory for his new side, but he admits he will always be a Boro fan at heart.

"I want nothing more than to see Boro survive," he said.

"Nobody would want that more than me, obviously I am at Wigan now and my job is to try everything to win the game, but I was a huge Boro fan as a kid and that never leaves you.

"A lot of my friends still play for the club and I wish them only well, except of course this Saturday - then it is down to business and my business is to win games for Wigan."

Hard to leave

Cattermole admits it was hard for him to leave, but he was left with little option.

"The situation was I felt I needed to be playing every week," he told the Daily Express.

"I think any footballer worth his salt would feel the same, in terms of options I don't think I really had one.

"I want regular first-team football, anyone who works in a job which they love doing would feel the same way - I just wanted to play.

"It was made plain and simple to me that my opportunities would be limited, so when the offer to move and play for Steve Bruce came along I took it.

"I have not regretted it for a second and I've played in 26 of the 28 games. I think we are genuine challengers for a European place and that shows what progress we have made."

Cattermole has been quick to pay tribute to his new boss Steve Bruce, who paid £3.5million to take him to the JJB.

"I think the world of the gaffer, simple as that - he has shown a lot of faith in me and I like to think I am paying him back, week in, week out," he continued.

"He is very direct and honest, and I like that.

"He lets us know when we have let ourselves down but he praises us when we do well.

"Again that is what I like, I would run through brick walls for him."