9:05am Friday 29th August 2008
JEREMIE Aliadiere has pleaded with Mido not to quit Middlesbrough.
Boro’s unsettled £6m forward has been strongly linked with a season-long loan move to Wigan Athletic after failing to earn a place despite his goal-a-game start to the campaign.
Reports in his native Egypt suggested the former Spurs star would welcome a move to link up with Steve Bruce at the JJB Stadium, but the 25- year-old reiterated his commitment to the cause after clear-the-air talks with manager Gareth Southgate.
Mido’s three-goal haul could earn him a recall at home to Stoke City tomorrow, and Aliadiere has told his team-mate to shelve any plans he may have to call time on his 12-month Boro career to help the club’s bid to secure a top 10 finish this season.
The Frenchman said: “It depends on the player how he reacts to not being in the side, but you’ve got stiff competition for places at every big club, especially up front, and it’s no different here.
“I’d love Mido to stay because he’s a quality player and he’s shown that by scoring three goals already this season. We need players like him at the club and I’d be disappointed if he left but it’s his decision and also the manager’s.”
Mido, who is also interesting his former Spurs boss Martin Jol, now in charge at German Bundesliga side Hamburg, has already racked up eight clubs in his short career.
Southgate insists the player remains central to his plans, and he added: “It’s time he had a more stable period in his career and was at a club for a bit longer.”
Stiff competition for places up front has seen Aliadiere shifted to a less familiar wideright role. The 25-year-old has scored once as Boro have plundered eight goals in their opening three games, and the former Arsenal forward insists he’s happy to play anywhere as long as it means he commands a starting role.
He added: “It’s a different position for me but I did play there for Arsenal and I need to learn the defensive side of the game. I’m learning with every match and if the manager wants to play me out wide I’ve got no problems with that.”
Aliadiere revealed that confidence in the camp is high after Boro’s goal-laden start to the campaign, and sights are set on a top half finish. He added: “We’re good enough to finish in the top 10. It’s a long season and you can get hit by injuries, but after the start we’ve had we’re looking to finish top 10.
“We’ve started this season much better than last year.
We’ve hit the ground running and it’s important to do that to get as many points on the board as possible to get confidence high.”
■ Boro fans have the chance to salute members of Team GB’s Olympic stars – including three local heroes – tomorrow.
Athletics medallists Philipps Idowu, Germaine Mason and Tasha Danvers are special guests at the Riverside ahead of Sunday’s Aviva British Grand Prix meeting in Gateshead.
And they are joined by North-East Olympians Jo Jackson, Johanna Jackson and Jemma Lowe. They will all be paraded on the pitch at half-time.
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