Dean Whitehead believes missing out on promotion to the Premier League this season would represent “almost a failure” for his former club Middlesbrough.
With the 33-year-old in their side, the Teessiders came within 90 minutes of a top-flight return last term.
But Aitor Karanka’s men disappointed in the Championship play-off final, losing 2-0 to Norwich City at Wembley.
It proved to be the last of 63 appearances for the club by Whitehead, who signed for Town in June.
Now the Manchester-based player is desperate to slow third-placed Boro’s current promotion push.
And he’s looking forward to showing home fans what new head coach David Wagner’s full-throttle tactics are all about.
Town are also aiming to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in Wagner’s first match.
“The result wasn’t good, but there were a lot of positive things in a large majority of the match,” he said. “We are in the process of changing our style and we are moving in the right direction.
“Football is all about hard work, and that is what we’re doing under the new coach, and training is intense.
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“We are trying to get to where the manager wants us, and we will get there.”
Whitehead is looking forward to facing a good mate in former Town midfielder Adam Clayton.
“It will be interesting,” he smiled. “Clayts never lacks confidence and keeps telling me he’s playing well, but to be fair, he is.
“So are Middlesbrough, and they should be up there at the end of the season.
“With the money they have spent and the squad they have got it will be almost a failure if they don’t go up.”
