STRIKER Malcolm Christie has predicted that Middlesbrough's long wait for a major honour will end within two years.

Christie opened the scoring for Boro in Saturday's convincing 3-0 home win over West Brom.

The £3m signing from Derby has struck three times in five starts since Steve McClaren snapped him up at the end of January.

Boro are now tenth, on the fringe of the Premiership scramble for European places, and 23-year-old Christie is revelling in his Riverside role after the pain of relegation with Derby last season. He said: "I just want to keep playing well because I'm getting picked ahead of a lot of quality strikers. My goal ratio has improved dramatically here.

"I'm playing with world-class players like Juninho. I'm honoured to be on the same pitch as him.

"When I was growing up, he was someone who had been there and done it, and he's still doing it. There's a different mentality here to Derby. We used to go into games there beaten before a ball was kicked.

"We lacked experience, but here the core of the team has experience with the likes of Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu. I can relax here a lot more because I have good players all round me.

"It's a big step up for me, but I think I have acquitted myself very well. The manager showed with the signings he made during the transfer window that he is planning for the future.

"Steve Gibson has been magnificent - he's probably the best chairman in the Premiership. He's backed his manager to the hilt.

"We need a good squad for a big push. I'd like to think the squad is ready for Europe if we qualify. If we add one or two players in the summer, we can be a force.

"It would be nice to get into Europe this season. Europe is the next step. There's a bit of a stigma associated with the club because we've never really won anything. But since I've been here, I've seen the winning mentality. I don't think it will be too long - in the next couple of years - before you see Middlesbrough win something.

"I came here to learn. There are still places I want to go in football; there's Europe and maybe international football. But I'm not looking that far ahead at the moment.''

Christie is keen to see loan star Geremi join Boro from Real Madrid on a permanent basis.

"We want to keep our best players and Geremi is one of them,'' said Christie. "It's going to be tough to keep him because there are a few clubs sniffing around. He's at a big club in Real Madrid and they will probably want to keep him.

"It would be nice to sign him, but if we can't, I'm sure the manager will have an eye on another player.''

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