Neil Warnock reacts after Marvin Johnson signs new deal at Middlesbrough

The 29-year-old was a key player during the Championship run-in and started eight games in a row after Warnock was appointed in June.

Johnson endured a tricky start to his Boro career after joining the Teessiders from Oxford in the summer of 2017 and was loaned out to Sheffield United during the 2019/20 campaign.

Yet the versatile winger was brought back into the first-team picture by Jonathan Woodgate, and his form under Warnock has earned him a new one-year deal.

“I’m delighted Marvin has signed a new contract,” said Warnock following the announcement.

“Since I came here he has improved on a weekly basis and I’m delighted to keep him here.

“He was excellent for us during the end of last season, I’ve been really pleased with what I’ve seen, and I think I can improve him even more during my time here.”

Despite playing as a winger for most of his career, Johnson was regularly deployed on the left side of a back four or as a wing-back under Warnock.

The 29-year-old was preferred to highly-rated youngster Hayden Coulson at the end of last season, and the pair should provide healthy competition during the 2020/21 campaign.

Boro have also offered last season’s captain George Friend a new deal at the Riverside but are still waiting for a response from the 32-year-old.

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