PROMOTION winning head coach Aitor Karanka will be honoured to manage in the Premier League next season after leading Middlesbrough out of the Championship after seven years.

Karanka could not hide his delight on the Riverside Stadium pitch when he walked round the pitch to the fans who have supported him for this season after Boro sealed the point to claim a place back in the top-flight.

Middlesbrough claimed the draw they needed when Cristhian Stuani’s equaliser put them in the driving seat in the 19th minute and that left the visitors needing two goals to pip them to automatic promotion.

The Seagulls responded by equalising nine minutes after half-time when Dale Stephens headed in Anthony Knockaert’s free-kick but they could not muster up the crucial winner; a task made harder when the goalscorer was red carded for a bad tackle on Gaston Ramirez.

Karanka, whose future has been speculated about since his bust-up with the players in March, is now looking forward to working at the highest level of the English game next season.

The Spaniard said: “I have three more years here. The contract is there. I say thank you to the chairman, the players and the crowd.

”There are just 20 privileged people who can manage in the Premier League and I will be one of them next season. My aim is to stay in there.

“I said when I arrived that Middlesbrough are a Premier League team and we are going to train hard to stay there.

“First, though, I would like to go to my bed and cry for 24 hours because of all the emotion that I can’t describe.”

Middlesbrough’s point ensured they stay second in the Championship behind champions Burnley – it guarantees the club a £170m cash boost.

Thousands of fans invaded the Riverside pitch to celebrate with the players and now Karanka can start to think about the summer’s business in preparation for the Premier League.

He said: “As I've said before, this group of players, this crowd, this chairman deserves to be in the Premier League again.

"When I arrived here, sometimes they think I was crazy when I said my aim was to put this club in the Premier League again, but two years and a half later, we are in the position where this club deserves to be. Amazing."