Paddy McNair makes first season admission and discusses Neil Warnock's impact at Middlesbrough after captaincy surprise

The 25-year-old has started every league game for the Teessiders this season and recently signed a contract extension until the summer of 2024 at the Riverside.

McNair joined Boro from North East neighbours Sunderland at the start of the 2017/18 campaign but was used sparingly by then-manager Tony Pulis.

Despite operating as a central midfielder for most of his career, the Northern Ireland international has been deployed in defence by Boro boss Neil Warnock this term.

Warnock has repeatedly praised McNair and given him the captain’s armband when regular skipper Britt Assombalonga and Jonny Howson have been absent from the starting XI.

Speaking to Boro’s matchday programme ahead of Saturday’s match against Birmingham, McNair said: “If I’m being honest, my first year at Boro I did not enjoy it, and I didn’t play as much as I wanted, but to bounce back and captain the side I think shows a lot.

“The thing with the manager is that he’s so honest, and you know exactly what he expects from you. He gives you belief and I think the whole team is playing well.”

Full-backs Anfernee Dijksteel and Marc Bola have also signed new contracts at Boro this season after establishing themselves as first-team regulars under Warnock.

McNair added: "You look at the likes of Boles and Anf and they probably had a similar first year to me, but now they’re settled and and playing brillant, and we’ve all signed new contracts as well.

“I wake up on a morning looking forward to coming into work, into training and that’s a great feeling to have.”

McNair was first named Boro captain for the side’s 3-0 win over Millwall in December, with the news coming as something of a shock.

“When the manager told me I was going to be captain, I’d not even thought about it,” recalled the defender.

“With Jonny being out and Britt not starting it hadn’t even entered my head, so to have that surprise was a great feeling.”

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