STEVE AGNEW will have an opportunity to stake a claim for a permanent role as Middlesbrough’s head coach after the club dramatically parted company with Aitor Karanka yesterday morning.

Karanka’s three-and-a-half year reign at the Riverside came to an end by mutual consent after a series of meetings over the last 72 hours resulted in an agreement with chairman Steve Gibson that change was required to give Boro a realistic chance of avoiding relegation.

Agnew has been appointed as interim boss, and will conduct today’s pre-match press duties before taking charge of Sunday’s home game with Manchester United.

Boro’s performance against Jose Mourinho’s side will go a long way towards dictating whether he remains in position until the end of the season, with Gibson keen to give the 51-year-old a genuine chance to prove his credentials.

The Middlesbrough chairman has watched Craig Shakespeare steady the ship at Leicester City following Claudio Ranieri’s departure, and just as the former Foxes number two has seen his temporary role extended, so Gibson would like to support Agnew as he looks to haul Boro out of the bottom three.

Agnew took charge of one game as interim boss last season, after Karanka’s departure from the training ground meant he was unable to take charge of his side’s trip to Charlton Athletic.

Boro produced their worst display of the season as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at The Valley, and Agnew reverted to his role as assistant manager after Gibson met with Karanka and agreed to the Spaniard remaining as head coach.

However, Agnew’s struggles on that occasion have not prevented Gibson from turning to him again, and the Boro chairman regards the former Sunderland, York and Gateshead midfielder as more than merely a capable number two.

He is confident Agnew has the steeliness required to succeed on his own, although accepts results will have to improve rapidly if Boro are to scramble to safety in the remaining 11 games.

If things do not go to plan this weekend, Gibson will be tempted to look elsewhere, with a number of experienced managers having already been in touch via their representatives to express an interest in the role.

Former Middlesbrough captain Nigel Pearson is understood to be keen on a return to Teesside, having expressed an interest in the vacant managerial position at Norwich City earlier this week.

Pearson’s experience in leading Leicester City away from a seemingly impossible position at the foot of the table makes him an appealing candidate, and means he would be likely to find himself ahead of the likes of Alan Pardew, Steve McClaren or Roy Hodgson on a potential shortlist.

Guus Hiddink has been linked with a possible short-term firefighting role, but while Peter Kenyon will be involved in any future canvassing of potential candidates, there was no approach to the former Chelsea boss prior to Karanka’s departure.

Karanka’s exit was confirmed yesterday morning, and came five days after his final game proved to be an FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City.

He successfully guided Boro back into the top-flight last May, 12 months after experiencing the heartache of a play-off final defeat to Norwich, but his position had become increasingly vulnerable in the last few weeks with a series of high-profile clashes suggesting he was struggling to cope with the pressure of the relegation battle.

Karanka criticised the Boro fans after a recent home defeat to West Ham, and was also critical of Gibson’s transfer policy after his preferred transfer targets failed to arrive during the January window.

He fell out with players throughout his Boro reign, with the latest clashes seeing him question the commitment of both Stewart Downing and Patrick Bamford after they were left out of the squad for last weekend’s FA Cup game.

Some players are understood to have turned against him, although there were also those who remained supportive to the end.

Victor Valdes was one of the first to offer his support to Karanka, tweeting: “When football said no to me, you were the only one who gave me the option to enjoy this beautiful sport again. I will always be grateful.”

Midfielder Marten de Roon also took to social media to support his former boss, and said: “You gave me the opportunity to play in the amazing Premier League. I’m thankful what you’ve done for me. Thank you gaffer. Gracias Mister.”

There are likely to be further changes of personnel in the next few days, with members of Karanka’s backroom staff expected to leave before the Manchester United game.

Goalkeeping coach Leo Percovich, who was Karanka’s closest confidante, is believed to be unlikely to remain in his position, although it remains to be seen whether Agnew is permitted to make any appointments of his own.

The interim coach will have to decide whether to restore Downing and Bamford to the squad for Sunday’s game, while his choice of tactics will provide an early indication of how far he is willing to stray from Karanka’s preferred blueprint.