FORMER Boro striker and football pundit Bernie Slaven has announced he is going to stand for Mayor of Middlesbrough.

Last week, residents voted overwhelmingly to have a directly-elected mayor in the town.

Mr Slaven is the first to openly announce he will be standing, with former CID chief Ray Mallon hinting that he will be in the running.

His Century Radio and Boro TV colleague Alistair Brownlee will be his campaign manager.

Glasgow-born Mr Slaven said he had become an "adopted Teessider" and wanted to give something back to the region.

He said: "A lot of people have come up in the past few weeks and asked whether I would be standing.

"I am not really into politics, but it isn't about politics. It is about personality and popularity, and I believe I have those.

"I love Teesside, and I hate it when people from outside the area slate it. If it helps the profile of the town, I would be delighted to be mayor.

"But May 2 is still a long way off and I will be concentrating on the Boro until then."

The former Republic of Ireland international said that, if elected, he would focus on the deprived and underprivileged areas of Middlesbrough.

He said: "I grew up on a rough council estate in Glasgow, and I don't forget my roots, even though I'm doing all right for myself now.

"I would want to concentrate on the underprivileged and deprived, and I think I can relate to people's problems in this area."

But he said he would not be lifting his mayoral robes to reveal his backside if he was elected.

He famously lifted his kilt in Binns store window in 1998 after Boro beat Manchester United 3-2