JONNY HOWSON has described how aware he was of criticism from Middlesbrough fans.

The bad vibes had impacted on his family and that was what bothered him the most.

The 30-year-old built a strong reputation for himself during spells with Leeds and Norwich before moving to the Riverside in the summer of last year.

Howson told the Football League Paper: “I’m not on social media, so that was a blessing. Of course I was aware of it (criticism), it’s probably the first time in my career I’ve been singled out like that, and it is hard.

“When you care and you’re frustrated and you want to put things right, you probably try a bit too hard. Daft as it sounds, that can go against you. You over concentrate, over-think things. I look back on it now and I’d say it’s probably helped me. It’s made me tougher as a person. And I’m not complaining at all, by the way.”

Howson added: “The only thing that upset me - and this isn’t something I’ve really spoken about before - was the way it affected my family. I’m paid to take stick but they aren’t. My parents were up there in the stands. So were my wife and children. They’re having to hear people shouting things about me. OK, it wasn’t over the top, but it wasn’t nice.”

  • Middlesbrough have announced support for Responsible Gambling Week, an industry-wise campaign. The week takes place from November 1-7 under the slogan ‘Let’s Talk about Responsible Gambling’ and Bodro was the first EFL club to publicly announce its participation.