AMONG the Middlesbrough players worth a substantial amount in the marketplace this summer is Jason Steele, in the long-term thinking of the full England squad, and one of the most valuable.

Steele, with still a further couple of years to run on his existing deal, has been an ever-present for Boro in the Championship this season and his performances have also alerted a number of Premier League clubs.

Liverpool and Newcastle United are both known to be considering young options on the goalkeeping front, with Pepe Reina and Tim Krul attracting interest from home and abroad. The Reds and Magpies have been represented regularly at Middlesbrough matches, even if Steele has not been the only reason for their scouting trips.

But the 22-year-old is not thinking about leaving Middlesbrough and fully intends to make sure he helps the club where it all started back to the top-flight.

The Newton Aycliffe-born shot-stopper said: "I have said all along that I am still contracted to Middlesbrough for at least another two years. I am happy as Larry here, this is my club and it is where I have grown up.

"Its where I have always been, so I am not thinking about anything other than trying to get Middlesbrough back in the Premier League. Being honest I thought this would be the year!

"A few months ago it looked like we would be going up. I had a feeling that not many teams could beat us, the whole team had that feeling but things have not gone our way and we need to go again after the summer."

Where Steele's contract situation means his future depends on whether Middlesbrough would sell, there is certain to be movement in and out regarding other players.

Stephen McManus and Nicky Bailey are the two most likely to leave at the end of their contracts, while Kieron Dyer's short term pay-as-you-play arrangement is set to come to an end. The club also have decisions to make on one-year options on the deals signed by Andre Bikey and Justin Hoyte last summer.

"I could not tell you who will be moving or who will be staying, I don't know which lads are out of contract - I will probably find out through reading the paper," said Steele.

"When we return for pre-season there will be, however, many lads there and we will know who has to focus on next season, it's not really for us now to speculate who will or will not be here. We just need to make sure we put a few wrongs right."

It is an unwanted situation which Middlesbrough find themselves in. The hope had been to end the campaign celebrating promotion back to the Premier League, where it would be a case of how to spend the extra cash which top-flight football brings with it.

The reality is something entirely different. Tony Mowbray, the Boro boss, has been in discussions with chairman Steve Gibson to plan ways of making the team promotion contenders next season.

Steele believes the key will be to ensure that the club does not dwell on the failings for too long, starting with the today's final home match of the season against Charlton at the Riverside Stadium.

"It was a similar situation towards the end of last season, although we still had a little shot at this stage back then," said Steele, keen to finish the season with two wins against Charlton and then Sheffield Wednesday a week today.

"Its an anti-climax to what could have been, what should have been in many respects ... that's football and nothing is nailed on. Nothing is done on paper, things are achieved on merit and what you have done through the season. We haven't been good enough for the last four months, so we have got our just rewards.

"Its time to move on and go again in the last two games, give the fans something to cling on to for next season. Hopefully they will come back next season and support us like they have done. We also need to give ourselves something to look forward to. Then we can come back from holiday raring to go."

Steele, meanwhile, warmed up for today's visit of Charlton by playing in the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation Golf Day at Rockliffe Hall this week.

And, although he is just 22, he believes it is an indication of just how well liked Robson was that everyone of all ages still knows the impact the former Newcastle boss had on football in this country.

"I remember watching all of Sir Bobby's games as Newcastle manager," said Steele. "Being in the same changing rooms as the likes of Kieron Dyer and Jonathan Woodgate here at Boro, you get to hear the stories of how he was as a manager.

"You could listen to the tales all day and how he was, how he could do things, his legacy will live on forever in football, even though I was only a kid in the final years of his managerial career.

"No matter how old you are, I cant remember how old I was, you will know about him like I did when I was a kid. That's what its about and he has left that legacy - and everyone will always know about what he did and achieved."