Soccer

Deal leaves Downing with lofty ambitions

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing is determined to celebrate signing his new five-year contract by helping to guide the club…

Tue Feb 26 2008 - 00:00

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing is determined to celebrate signing his new five-year contract by helping to guide the club to FA Cup glory.

The 23-year-old has finally put pen to paper on his new deal 10 days after agreeing to commit himself to his hometown club.

However, he is not prepared to rest on his laurels and heads into tomorrow night's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Sheffield United with his eyes set firmly on Wembley.

Speculation over Downing's future on Teesside mounted last month as rumours of interest from Tottenham and Everton persisted.

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However, it was team-mate Jonathan Woodgate who finally headed for White Hart Lane.

The defender made an instant impact on Sunday when he headed home the goal which won the Carling Cup final against Chelsea, having cited Spurs' greater ambition as one of his reasons for leaving the north-east.

However, fellow England international Downing is convinced he can achieve his dreams on Teesside.

Having been an unused substitute for the 2004 Carling Cup final before finishing on the losing side in the Uefa Cup final two years ago, he knows exactly what he wants.

Asked what extending his stay at Boro means to him, Downing said: "Everything. I am a local lad.

"But the big thing is, I want to win something. I know I was involved in the Carling Cup final, but I didn't play.

"I want more than that, I want to play in a final. We were unlucky in the Uefa Cup, we were up against a really good team in Sevilla.

"But I am really confident about this year that we have got a really good chance.

"We have just got to go out and get the result."

Neither Downing nor manager Gareth Southgate, however, are under any illusion that the Blades will provide their side with a tough test, having held them to a 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane.

With Cardiff awaiting the winners in a home tie and only a handful of Barclays Premier League sides still in the competition, both will know they have a rare opportunity to reach the last four.

Downing said: "It is the same for Sheffield United. They are going to come here in confidence and think, 'why can't we beat Middlesbrough?'.

"We have got to be on our guard, but it is a tremendous chance for us, so we are looking to win."