STEWART DOWNING insists that he is happy at Middlesbrough and remains focused on spearheading a push to bring Premier League football back to his hometown.

The Boro winger, who scored the winning goal against Rotherham on Tuesday, was the subject of reports claiming he was unsettled after a difference in views with head coach Aitor Karanka.

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce had been mentioned as an interested observer ahead of the January transfer window, given he played under him at West Ham.

Since the suggestions first surfaced ahead of the trip to Wolves on October 24, Downing has hit top gear by following up a goal on his cameo outing at Molineux with impressive showings against Manchester United, Charlton and the Millers.

While the 31-year-old, who turned his back on the Premier League with West Ham in the hope of inspiring Boro to promotion, admits he does not want to miss matches, he will go along with Karanka’s decisions.

“Everyone probably just thought I was unsettled because I was left out,” said Downing. “Obviously a player is not going to be happy to be left out. Ask every player that and they would feel the same.

“The manager understood how I felt, but he has to pick a team and he was proven right in the end because he got a result.

“I came on and made a difference, got a goal. The manager knows I will back him 100 per cent, he picks the team. All I can do is play well and score goals.

“I came back to help this team get promotion. If I didn’t feel we were strong enough to do it then it wouldn’t be very ambitious of me, it would have been stupid of me, to come back and be a mid-table team in the Championship. I could have stayed at West Ham.

“The chairman (Steve Gibson) has backed the manager, we are playing well and we are in a good position at the minute.”

Downing’s 16th minute winner on Tuesday made it three wins from three in the Championship and Karanka labelled him the “best in the Championship” if he can regularly hit top gear.

He said: “I am enjoying playing through the middle here, but if the manager wants to play me wide then I will.

“The first couple of weeks I was getting used to the league and the players, that was the same for a few of us though. I feel like I am settled now. I know what the team is about, what the players are about. I am enjoying it. I just want to keep scoring and getting the wins.”

Middlesbrough will be looking for him to deliver at the KC Stadium on Saturday, against Hull City who have a squad of players Downing faced in the Premier League last season.

The Tigers are just a point above the Teessiders in top spot but Middlesbrough had to battle to stay in touch by defeating Rotherham, who threatened to clinch a point after a failure to build on Downing’s opener.

He said: “We don’t do it easy, do we? We should really kick on after we get the first goal but we got the job done, that’s the important thing.

“I have only been in this league for a couple of months, you can’t look too far ahead. You have to take draws when they come along, but as a squad we believe we should be winning games.

“Last year the team might have drawn a game like the Rotherham one on a Tuesday night. Last season the lads remembered drawing with Blackpool and that cost them, that 1-0 win over Rotherham might be priceless.

“We have a good squad, if players can come in and keep everyone fit, avoid suspensions, then we will go well.”