MARTIN BRAITHWAITE has told Tony Pulis that he wants to stay at Middlesbrough for the rest of the season and help secure promotion to the Premier League.

Braithwaite and his representatives tried to engineer a move to Spain before the overseas transfer window closed at the end of last month, meaning he was left out of the team that faced Leeds United two weeks ago.

He has since been on international duty with Denmark and returned to Rockliffe Park on Thursday, when he had a clear-the-air discussion with Pulis.

The Middlesbrough manager knows all about the Dane’s ability and wants to him be a big part of the push for promotion, although he would not keep an unhappy player under his watch.

Now, after moves to Girona and Leganes broke down, Braithwaite seems happy to go with it and has pledged his immediate future to Boro.

Pulis said: “Martin wants to get his head down now and just stay with the club, he doesn't want to contemplate doing anything in the window, he just wants to have a full season playing football and enjoying his football.

“That was Martin's words, you can quote me on that one, that he wanted to get his head down now and stay at this football club for the season, he didn't want speculation in the January window of him moving.

“I think he's most probably felt with the way things have worked out both ways because he was playing so well and when you are playing well and enjoying your football – blimey! And it's a good club, this is a good club.”

Braithwaite could now be thrown straight back into the starting line-up at Norwich City this afternoon, as Boro look for the result that could see them climb above Leeds at the top of the Championship.

The 27-year-old moved from Toulouse in a £9m deal in the summer of last year and was loaned to Bordeaux in January having felt not suited to how Pulis wanted the team to shape up – and he was keen to move again.

Pulis said: “I spoke to Martin yesterday and we had a good chat. He just wants to get his head down, he doesn't want this situation to happen again.

“I can understand that. I think he's looked at what we've done with the players we've brought in and I think that he's excited about one or two of the players that have come into the football club. We've had a good start.

“The disappointing thing is he was playing exceptionally well before all this nonsense started. You get people blowing in your ear. As I've been saying it's a very, very disruptive period and unfortunately Martin has got wrapped up in it.

“It's over now, the window's closed, he can clear his mind hopefully and concentrate on what he's paid to do and that is play football. He's a footballer, he's got to get the best of his ability. God's given him a wonderful ability to score goals, to create and he's got to use that to his full potential.”

Pulis was keen to stress the sort of relationship he wants with his players, and used Adama Traore as the perfect example of how he wants things to develop so that there is a trust between those he has under him.

He said: “The big disappointment for me was that it was last minute and Martin came and said he wanted to go. That was a disappointment for me.

“If he' d pulled me earlier on and spoke about things and discussed it the way we should discuss things ... you know I try and be as open and as honest as I can to the players and I hope for that openness and honesty back.

“And that was the disappointing thing, the way he did it and the time he did it, not the fact that he was there. I think most people knew that there was stuff surrounding certain players at this football club.

“Adama had stayed really close, told me everything that was going on and wanted to know my opinion and what I thought and Martin did it a different way.

“Now I don't know Martin as well as I knew Adama because Martin had left, but he certainly knows me now. Hopefully, finger's crossed, he'll know that I'm a genuine fellow that you can come up to and tell (me things) and I prefer that.

“Even with my chairman, if I've got no money to spend, tell me I've got no money to spend, don't pretend that you're trying to spend money. That's when I get annoyed. It's not the way I want it to be. That's just one example of what I'm like. When I said about chairman I didn't mean Steve!”

Braithwaite’s return is likely to mean one change at Norwich, Pulis said: “I've got some decisions to make. It's good, I've got players running around all having a go and what we need now is a fair wind like we had in the first six games to get us moving.

“We played at Leeds without him and we played very, very well and the team looked a team, so Martin has had a look at that as well and thought 'well, there's competition and other players who can do stuff'. Fingers' crossed he gets his head down because he is a good player.”