Middlesbrough will be back next season going for promotion says Adam Clayton

The midfielder was on the end of the 2-0 Sky Bet Championship play-off final defeat to Norwich City at Wembley yesterday.

Clayton, along with almost all of his teammates, was a shadow of his usual self and he is desperate to ensure that there is no hangover come in August.

Instead, he has set his sight on an automatic promotion berth to secure elevation to the Premier League.

“We’ll go again and we’ve got another season to put it right,” he confidently said.

“We’re already getting ready (for next season) and preparing and trying to regroup. The manager spoke at the end and we’re already thinking about next season.

“Congratulations to Norwich, they were really good, but we’ll try to get promoted next year.”

Two goals inside the first 15 minutes did the damage and Boro were unable to mount a comeback, barely even testing Norwich stopper John Ruddy.

Clayton, though, said that Boro were still optimistic of at least drawing level. “We always believed,” he added.

“At half-time we definitely believed we were still in the game.

“If we had scored the next goal that would have stirred it up a little but we couldn’t get it over the line.

“If we had got the goal we might have put more pressure on but we’ll go again.

“The teams were quite even at the start but a little mistake has let them in for a goal and pushed us on the back foot.”