Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Stoke set to pocket share of £2.5million UEFA payout

Northern Ireland duo George Saville and Paddy McNair are away playing for their country, and both started in Thursday’s Euro 2020 qualifying win over Bosnia on penalties.

And the pair’s involvement will bring a financial reward for Boro, as well as a host of teams around Europe.

UEFA have a pot of €2.7million – roughly £2.5million – available to give to clubs who have released their players for European Championship qualifiers regardless of whether they make an appearance.

A total of 676 clubs are set to pocket a share of the early payout, yet it could see the Teessiders receive a five-figure sum.

It is common for clubs to be financially compensated when their players are called up for major tournaments, while payments are also being made for Euro 2020 qualifying fixtures.

Previous payments relating to the initial qualifying fixtures were fast-tracked over the summer to provide financial support to clubs, but a fresh pot of money is available for the play-off fixtures.

Some of Middlesbrough’s Championship rivals, including Stoke, Nottingham Forest and Watford, will also benefit from the payout.

Boro boss Neil Warnock isn’t impressed with the scheduling of international matches, though, with Northern Ireland now set to face Austria in Belfast on Sunday, before flying to Norway for a second Nations League fixture on Wednesday.

"The biggest problem this week is our Northern Irish lads,” said Warnock when asked about injuries ahead of last weekend’s 2-1 win over Barnsley.

“They go away this weekend, travel to Bosnia on the Thursday to play on Thursday night, come home and play on the Sunday to play Austra in Ireland.

“Then they travel to Norway to play on a Wednesday night, they get back to Belfast on Thursday night at 2:15 in the morning, goodness what time they get to bed and then they have to come back and play Reading on Saturday.

“There are going to be some problems in the next few months, we are going to have to look at how we can help players out otherwise there is going to be a catastrophe.”

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