STEWART DOWNING has admitted the “time was right” to leave Middlesbrough after holding talks with new head coach Jonathan Woodgate that have paved the way for a move to Blackburn Rovers.

A week after Woodgate was confirmed as Tony Pulis’ successor at the Riverside Stadium, his brother-in-law Downing has agreed a one-year deal with Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn and the two clubs will meet in the Championship next season.

It is a departure that suits both parties because Downing can concentrate on extending his playing career at a time when Middlesbrough are looking in a different direction, with Woodgate now responsible for developing a new footballing philosophy on Teesside.

Downing has no problem with that and, in an exclusive interview with The Northern Echo, he has described how it feels to be leaving Middlesbrough for the second time in his career because he has penned a deal to join Blackburn as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30.

“I spoke to Woody,” said Downing, who was at Ewood Park on Thursday. “He would have liked to have kept me but they are also wanting to buy younger players now and the wage bill is being reduced.

“We both thought it was probably best I went. It is a clean slate for us both. It was best for both of us, so I can keep playing and he can get on with his job. It’s all sound.”

Downing returned to Middlesbrough in 2015 from West Ham United and was part of the team that went up that season. He had a much-publicised fall-out with Aitor Karanka after that but stayed on to play a part under Tony Pulis and Garry Monk.

His last season will be frustratingly remembered for a clause in his contract that prevented him from making more starts in the league because it would have triggered an extension – before an agreement was reached.

Downing, who made more than 400 appearances for Middlesbrough, said: “I was disappointed with a few things that happened during my second spell, and all of those things came out in the end. That can happen in football.

“But I went back to get the club promoted and we did that, in my first year. The Premier League season was disappointing. There were many factors why we went down and it would have been nice had we stayed up.

“Even now I still think that would have been it, I would have gone then. But the timing is right now though. There’s a new manager, I have had an offer to go somewhere else, to try somewhere new. When I spoke to Woody he said to go and enjoy the last couple of years of my career.”

While happy to be joining Blackburn, Downing is delighted to see Woodgate given the opportunity to take his first managerial job on at his hometown club – even if he knows it will be a tough challenge.

“In a way I was surprised with the length of time it took,” said Downing. “Woody has the lads on side, they all like him and that’s a great start even if that will be different he is now a manager. They all know what he is about. They are not going in blind with him.

“Robbie Keane is a good appointment as his assistant too. They are both inexperienced but have to start somewhere. I have met Robbie a few times through Woody, and he won’t take any rubbish either, but the lads will like him.

“He knows it will be a tough job, maybe this will be a season of transition because it takes time. The fans will need to understand that.

“Monk came in and spent £50m and it took months to get going. That’s especially the case if you need to change the style of play. Mowbray has been building his team for two years and you can’t do that overnight. I hope they will give him time because it will take time.

“I knew Woody wanted to be a manager. I have known him for ten years and he has said it before. When he was at Liverpool (recruitment) he was going all over the world. He was at a big club so he knows a lot about youth players everywhere, I am sure that if there is talent he will play them.”

Downing could end up following in Woodgate’s footsteps in the future and he is not ruling out taking such a step. First and foremost, though, it is about playing for Blackburn and helping Mowbray to achieve his goals.

“Mogga (Mowbray) rang me in the summer,” said the 34-year-old, who will turn next month. “He asked if I could meet him at his house. I sat for an hour or two with my dad and him.

“We just spoke about football, how he likes to play. He told me not to make a rash decision and to and think about it, so I had a look around. He was very laid back about it. As soon as I had a look around I knew what I wanted.

“It’s a one-year deal and if we like it then we have an option to extend. There’s no clause … I was adamant about that this time!

“If I want to go into coaching, he will help me. I am finishing my B Licence now, and I think they do the A licence at Blackburn.

“I remember Woody going through there for it. I am doing the badges just in case, so if I finish then I have already done them and I can coach. I am not sure what I will do after playing but something might click at some point and I want to be ready if that is coaching and management.”