Southgate in for the Long Haul at Boro

Gareth Southgate has promised he will not use Middlesbrough as a "stepping stone". The 37-year-old has spent the last two years learning his trade after being handed the chance to launch his managerial career by chairman Steve Gibson.

He admits it has been a voyage of discovery, but he has no plans to cut and run to a bigger club once he has established himself. "I'm thinking long-term, I'm not using this as a stepping stone for something else," said Southgate. "If I'm here in five years, then brilliant because that means we are doing it right."

Southgate's predecessor Steve McClaren was head-hunted by England after guiding the Teessiders to their first major trophy, the Carling Cup in 2004, and the UEFA Cup final. But Southgate has set about the task of stamping his own mark on the club he represented as a player. The former England defender insisted in the wake of last season's difficulties, which saw Boro cement their top flight status on the penultimate weekend of the campaign for the second successive year, that things had to change.

"When the players came back, we wanted to set the tone for how the club is going to run this year and beyond," said Southgate. "I felt that too many times over the first two years of my management, I had to compromise principles because we had to make short-term decisions on certain players."