Middlesbrough 1, Tottenham Hotspur 1 - STYLISH Benito Carbone could scarcely have shone more if he had worn his sparkly matchday suit throughout the 90 minutes.

The itinerant Italian striker, who has played for 11 clubs in an often controversial career, is tired of being on the move and wants to end his playing days with Middlesbrough.

Whether he does will almost certainly depend on Boro agreeing a fee with Bradford City.

The cash-strapped First Division club were happy to have £40,000-a-week Carbone off their wage bill when he joined Boro seven weeks ago in a loan deal which runs until the end of the season.

Such has been Carbone's influence in his eight appearances for Boro, that manager Steve McClaren is poised to press for a permanent arrangement this summer.

Bradford will hope to rake in around £3m for 30-year-old Carbone, who would have been a Boro player for that sum a year ago had talks not broken down over personal terms.

But Carbone, who has also had spells with Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Derby, now has no doubts that Boro are the club he wants to be with.

Sporting his dazzling designer threads, he said: "Of course I want to stay here, I've said that before. I don't want to go all round England again. I don't know when things will be sorted out and I don't know how it will go, but it's important for me to stay here.

"If not, I will find a club in Italy. I want to play the next four years with Middlesbrough in the Premiership.''

Carbone was Boro's inspirational force as they came from behind to maintain their fight against the lingering threat of relegation.

McClaren, who had to work hard to lure Carbone, admitted: "He's putting pressure on me to sign him. He's an excellent player and he's doing everything I thought he would - and more. It's particularly pleasing that he's become such a crowd favourite.''

Carbone is enjoying the freedom of expression in his game that McClaren has afforded him.

"I enjoyed this game, but when you play well and don't win, it's not a good point,'' said Carbone.

"We had the opportunities to win the game and jump up the table, but we missed that chance.

"We played some fantastic football. I don't know if this was my best game for Middlesbrough. What I like is how much the manager allows me to be free and all the time the players give me the ball.

"I think it's my best position and the best thing is the manager trusts me.

"When you get that trust, it's the best feeling you can have as a player. You just go out and enjoy yourself.''

Carbone hasn't scored yet, but he has surely never worked harder in a game for Boro.

McClaren's side needed his verve and endeavour after Spurs struck in the 33rd minute through Steffen Iversen.

Matthew Etherington's left-wing cross eluded everyone in the middle and Norwegian striker Iversen forced in off goalkeeper Mark Crossley and into the roof of the net.

It was a blow to a Boro side who had started the game at a tremendous tempo backed by an enthusiastic crowd topping 31,000 for the second successive home match.

Carbone twice threatened to break his goal duck in the opening period, and Alen Boksic was denied by the joint efforts of keeper Kasey Keller and centre-back Anthony Gardner.

Spurs nearly doubled their tally when Iversen nicked the ball round Crossley only to see his shot blocked by Ugo Ehiogu.

But Boro should have been awarded what both managers agreed was a clear penalty early in the second half when England defender Ledley King handled in a challenge with Boksic.

"We had a blatant penalty turned down,'' said McClaren.

But Spurs counterpart Glenn Hoddle also felt referee Phil Dowd was at fault on two counts when Boro equalised in the 69th minute through a Franck Queudrue free-kick.

Gardner was harshly punished for a challenge on Boksic and when Carbone acted as a decoy at the set-piece, Robbie Mustoe cannily knocked Iversen out of the wall to make way for Queudrue's curling effort which gave the French left-back his second Boro goal since he arrived on loan from Lens last October.

Former England boss Hoddle complained: "Boksic won the free-kick through frustration and the referee unfortunately bought it. We also feel Steffen was pulled out of the wall. I thought we deserved to win the game.''

Hoddle's grievances were no doubt heightened by seeing an Etherington effort blocked by Crossley then ricochet to safety off right-back Robbie Stockdale, and Gustavo Poyet head against the bar from Darren Anderton's corner, before Boro levelled to deny Spurs an historic North-East treble after their victories this season at Newcastle and Sunderland

Read more about Middlesbrough here.