STEVE GIBSON has admitted that he wants Aitor Karanka to extend his contract, even though he thinks there will be strong interest in Middlesbrough’s highly-rated head coach.

Karanka has turned Boro into automatic promotion contenders in his first full season in charge after taking over from Tony Mowbray when a relegation spot looked more likely 18 months ago.

The Spaniard’s success in the North-East has led to him being linked with a number of jobs, including Newcastle United and Aston Villa before Tim Sherwood took over at Villa Park.

Interest in Karanka is only likely to grow if Boro continue to progress under his watch and he only has another season remaining on his existing deal.

But Gibson, the chairman responsible for appointing him in November 2013, is not concerned about the situation and is excited to have Karanka alongside him – even if he expects him to move on at some stage in the future.

Gibson said: “Of course there are going to be people knocking on my door. It’s a sign of success that there will be a demand out there for him. I can’t fear it. I have just got to get on with it.

“But the grass is not always greener. I have got to know the man. We have a very close relationship. He’s comfortable here, his family have settled here and he enjoys it.

“I think there will be a time for him to move on to bigger things – and I think he could be very big indeed. But I know, and he knows, what we agreed.

“What the project is here; what the aims are here; what the targets are here. Aitor will fulfil his contract here and I hope at some stage he extends his stay with us.”

When Karanka accepted the job, Mowbray deserved recognition and credit for steering the club through difficult financial times when the onus was still very much on cost cutting.

And while there has not been huge outlay in transfer fees paid out since then – the fees that have been paid are only slightly more than what was received for the likes of Lukas Jutkiewicz and Marvin Emnes – Karanka has had greater freedom to add to his squad.

The loan system has worked for him so far, while a number of the players he inherited have also thrived under his leadership and Gibson has been hugely impressed.

Gibson told The Football League Paper: “He’s turned us around far quicker than I could ever have hoped. Where will we be at the end of the season? I don’t know but he’s made us competitive.”

Boro suffered a setback in their pursuit of a top two spot when they lost comprehensively at Bournemouth nine days ago, but they remain just a point off the Cherries who are sitting in pole position.

There are seven matches remaining and after Wigan have travelled to the Riverside on Friday, Boro go to second-placed Watford on Bank Holiday Monday.

Gibson has explained how he knew Karanka was the right man for the job on Teesside as soon as he met him for the first time.

The Boro chief said: “I had a full day with him and I was struck by his enthusiasm. He was fresh, different. I tried to explain the difference in culture between Middlesbrough and Madrid and he just said ‘I’m from the Basque country, my people are industrious, they work hard, they’re working class and I’m no different.

“He had this hunger, this steely determination. We didn’t promise him things we didn’t have. We told him it was going to be a hard slog; that we were looking for a sustainable and gradual progression. We didn’t expect any magic wands.

“He was totally committed from the start. He said he would bring his family over straightaway. He said ‘I’m not coming to Middlesbrough to use it as a stepping stone. I’m coming to turn the club around.

“We told him the resources we would give him would be competitive in this league. He’s achieved that with a very limited budget. He’s been with us a year and a half and there’s a totally different ethos running through the club. We have a great set of lads in the dressing room and they all want to be a part of what we are doing.”