GEORGE BOATENG last night told how Middlesbrough's crop of stars are focused on becoming the first bunch to lift a major trophy at the club in its 127-year existence.

Boro's reward for overcoming Everton on Wednesday night in the Carling Cup is a quarter-final trip to Tottenham during on Wednesday, December 17.

The Teessiders reached the final of the competition in successive years - in 1997 and 1998 - but were unable to clinch their first major honour when they lost to both Leicester and Chelsea.

And now Boro are hoping to go one better this time around, but first they must reach the last four under manager Steve McClaren.

Boateng said: "We are all aware of the history of the club and we want to be the squad that finally wins something for the supporters.

"We know how important it is for them and we would all like to be the ones who re-write the history books.

"We are reminded a lot about the importance of that first trophy for the club and we are now in the last eight.

"I have heard about the team from five or six years ago which reached three finals but from what I am told, although it was a very exciting team, and may be the most exciting this club has seen, it was not a team.

"You need to be a team to win trophies because individuals don't win trophies, teams do.

"It would be lovely to be in the team that did it for Middlesbrough but we are taking it one step at a time and no one is getting carried away."

The Carling Cup - under it's many different guises - has received criticism in recent years from some quarters for being meaningless.

But winning the trophy at the Millennium Stadium means a place in the UEFA Cup next year will be assured.

And Boateng believes the fact Liverpool and Manchester United reached Cardiff last season proves it.

He said: "It is a good competition, I like it and no one here sees it as a Mickey Mouse competition - last year Manchester United and Liverpool played in the final so that shows how seriously the big teams treat it.

"It has respect among the players here and the fans and it means a lot to us to reach the quarter-finals, we are delighted."

After Boro's penalty shoot-out victory over Everton, it is back to the Premiership tomorrow when Portsmouth make the long trip to the North-East.

A victory will ensure McClaren's men keep up their impressive form, as they look to equal the club's 28-year-old record of six successive top flight clean sheets.

And Boateng is convinced the talent now on show at the Riverside - hailing the likes of Gaizka Mendieta, Juninho and Bolo Zenden - proves Boro have now got a team capable of achieving things.

"We came into this week looking for three wins and we now have two," said the Dutchman. "We can stop thinking about the cup for a couple of weeks and concentrate on beating Portsmouth now because we are on a good run in the league and we want it to continue.

"Mendieta is a great player but it is also the team around him that helps him play and do special things.

"We have some exceptional players in the squad like him but there are other unsung players who more than do their bit.

"We have no selfish players but players who do their bit for team and make personal sacrifices. Teamwork is instilled in us all the time and it is a very important basic for any team."

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