IT was Arnold Schwarzenegger's incarnation as The Terminator who famously declared "I'll be back", but Middlesbrough centre back Andrew Davies has also made the phrase his own.

Davies, who is on loan to Championship play-off chasing Queens Park Rangers and played in the 3-1 defeat by Sunderland at the weekend, broke his leg during a Boro reserve game last year.

It was an injury that curtailed his involvement in the Teessiders' most memorable season and also put paid to the first part of the current campaign.

The setback came just as the player, now 20, was starting to make his mark for his hometown club. But, sitting in his hospital bed, he declared his intent by writing on his plaster cast "I'll be back within a year".

"I came back from the injury pretty quickly," said Davies. "Normally after a break like that it takes about ten or 11 months for you to be back playing again, but I was back in seven. The bone healed really well and it was with a lot of hard work from the Middlesbrough medical team."

Unfortunately for Davies, while his prophecy came true, he found himself way down the pecking order at Boro and was loaned to QPR.

"As far as timing goes it was a good time for it (the injury) to happen as I had all of the summer to rest it," he said. "I missed about ten games at the start of this season because of it and I think that's what spoilt it for me at Middlesbrough.

"At that time a lot of the youngsters came through and then it was hard for me to get into the team, hardly having any pre-season behind me and with everyone else doing well.

"It was hard for me around then and my strength of character was put to the test, but I was always confident. That's why I wrote what I did on my plaster cast."

While Davies turned down the opportunity of a permanent move to London he has committed himself until the end of the season and may reconsider a deal if the chance presents itself again.

"It's all about playing for QPR for me now and hopefully I'll be here for a lot longer," he said. "I'd love to be able to stay if they gave me the opportunity."

* Andrew Davies and Boro team-mate Tony McMahon have been named in an initial 30-man England U21 squad to take part in the International Toulon Tournament in France between June 1 and 10.

* Boudewijn Zenden will miss at least the next three matches after scans yesterday revealed ankle ligament damage sustained during Saturday's 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Franck Queudrue's hopes of playing for the Republic of Ireland have been dashed by the Boro defender making a mistake over his Irish ancestry.

Although born in Paris and with a France B cap to his name, Queudrue announced he would consider wearing the green of Ireland.

The 26-year-old claimed an Irish grandfather helped him qualify for Brian Kerr's side, currently vying with France for a place in next summer's World Cup as they are rivals in Group Four of the European qualifying section.

But a disappointed Queudrue revealed: ''Unfortunately I am one generation out.

''I am very proud of my Irish ancestry, but it's my great grandfather who was from Ireland and that's not enough for me to play."

* Only Martin O'Neill will ever know why Juninho was a flop at Celtic, the player's agent has claimed.

The 32-year-old former Boro star has returned to Brazil after just seven months at the Scottish club, in which he started only 14 games.

He is expected to sign a two-year deal at Palmeiras.

The player's British agent, Brian Hassall, said: ''I honestly thought I had found the right manager for him in Martin O'Neill. Only he will know why it didn't work out."

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