What has changed following confirmation of Steve McClaren's new four-year deal at the Riverside? In reality, not a lot.

The Middlesbrough manager remains hell-bent on taking the Teessiders to the upper reaches of the Premiership and the latter stages of the UEFA Cup. He remains committed to following last year's Carling Cup success with further trophy wins.

But, crucially, he also remains an England manager in waiting. No amount of contractual pledges or affirmations of faith will do anything to alter that.

It might be something of a footballing clich but, in the modern game, contracts are simply not worth the paper they are written on.

Players are still sold or negotiate transfers of their own, and managers are still sacked or free to move on to bigger and better things.

If England come calling for McClaren, he will be able to respond in whatever way he likes.

And, while his international ambitions currently remain suppressed, it would be a major surprise if he was to turn his country down. The Football Association are reluctant to grant second chances.

Should this be of concern to supporters of Middlesbrough? In a word, no.

McClaren has been courted by England since he joined Peter Taylor to take charge of the national team following Kevin Keegan's resignation five years ago.

His entire Middlesbrough career has been played out with England in the background, yet he has still been responsible for the most sustained spell of success in the club's history.

While his long-term ambitions might lie away from Teesside, that is extremely unlikely to change.

Football is fickle and, if McClaren is to lead England in the future, he will have to be successful with Middlesbrough first.

When Eriksson was appointed in 2001, he fought off competition from the likes of Taylor and Peter Reid, while Steve Bruce was mooted as a possible successor after England crashed out of the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002.

None of those three names are mentioned now. Taylor is trying to keep Hull in the Championship, Bruce is trying to keep Birmingham in the Premiership, and Reid is trying to keep himself in a pundit's job after parting company with Coventry.

It might seem unlikely, but it would not take much for McClaren to suffer similar ignominy. He might be flavour of the month at the moment, but the FA would soon lose interest if Middlesbrough were to spend the next 18 months battling against relegation.

Boro supporters should not lose sleep over their ambitious boss - his future prosperity is intrinsically linked to what happens at the Riverside.

Of more interest, should be his choice of assistant. By elevating Steve Round to the role of assistant manager, McClaren has given a clear indication of what he thinks should happen next if he was to wave goodbye in the future.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.