GEORGE SAVILLE was not surprised by his impressive start to life in a Middlesbrough shirt because he knows he has had the complete support of Tony Pulis for months.

Saville marked his move to Boro in style on Wednesday when he grabbed the opening goal of the 2-0 win over Bolton at the Riverside Stadium.

It was the ideal way to start at his new club having left Millwall on a loan deal which will become a £7m permanent switch in January.

Pulis had hoped to get Saville in before the closure of the summer transfer window, but in the end had to get him in before the loan deadline for Football League clubs.

And the Middlesbrough manager had no problem with throwing him into his starting line-up, even though there are other midfielders in the squad who are likely to feel they deserve a chance first.

Saville said: “It’s brilliant when a manager wants you that much, you know you’re going to be part of his plans. He obviously showed on Saturday at Norwich that he wanted me on the pitch, and then here he started me from the start.

“That’s brilliant from my point of view, having a manager who wants me to do well and wants me to come in. All I can do is work hard and hopefully put in the right performances.”

Saville was part of the Millwall team that was pipped to a play-off spot by Middlesbrough last season, but the proud Lions do not have the financial clout and facilities former Premier League club Middlesbrough offer.

The 25-year-old said: “Millwall were brilliant to me. I had a fantastic time at Millwall and have really fond memories of my time there. It’s a fantastic football club, but for me, Middlesbrough is at the next level.

“I want to push myself, and give myself the best opportunity of getting myself and the football club into the Premier League. Leaving Millwall, I had to do that to further my career.”

Saville was a Chelsea youngster before making his mark at Wolves, who sold him to Millwall for £350,000 a year before his Middlesbrough switch. Having moved around plenty already, the Northern Ireland international is ready to make a long-term impression on Teesside.

The position he plays for Pulis, though, remains unclear because he can operate anywhere in midfield.

He added: “You get a lot of holding midfielders, and a lot of players now who class themselves as a 10 or play-makers, but I think I do a bit of everything.

“I probably don’t quite have that flair to be a number 10, but I do have that work ethic to be box-to-box. That’s how I like to describe myself.

“Obviously the gaffer has brought me in to do something different to what the midfielders have been doing so far. Hopefully, I can add some strength to the squad. If I can add something a bit different and help us however I can, then that’s what I want to do.”

Middlesbrough took one point from six – albeit the draw was against leaders Leeds – before beating Bolton.

And having set high standards this season already in terms of clean sheets and victories, the aim is to follow the home win with another against Swansea tomorrow.

Saville said: “Coming off Saturday’s result at Norwich, we came into this week looking for two home wins. We have the advantage playing at home. It’s job done in terms of the Bolton game, so now we’ll work hard and prepare well for Saturday to deliver the next target.”