IT can’t be easy for a footballer to be constantly judged playing in a position where he would rather not play, and that is something that Ryan Shotton has had to get used to over the course of his career.

At Middlesbrough, under Jonathan Woodgate, Shotton finally feels like his wish is being granted. As one of the more experienced members of a Boro squad he feels is the most united he has ever worked in, the likeable defender is getting to play where he always wanted – in the middle of defence.

The 30-year-old wanted to be a centre-back when he emerged on to the scene at Stoke City, but found himself being recognised for his ability to play wide under Tony Pulis there.

Then, having worked hard to shrug off that image during spells with Derby and Birmingham, he got his move to Middlesbrough where he expected that to continue, only for Pulis to succeed Garry Monk and it was time to switch. Again.

Woodgate has changed all of that once more. Shotton is thankful, and is determined to repay his latest boss with the sort of recent performances that have changed many supporters’ views of him. Not that he is too bothered, as he knows Woodgate’s perception is what really counts.

He said: “I don’t listen to what people say, I just look to prove myself. If I can put the work in, do what the manager wants me to do, then I will stay in the team. I have played every minute so far, I must be doing something right.

“Part of what I was punished for under Pulis was that I was a centre-half at Stoke with him and yet I never played a single game at centre-half for him. I came here after Birmingham, where people started to take me seriously as a centre-half, having been a right-back filling in.

“I did a job for Pulis here and when he left I said to Woody ‘I want to play at centre-half’. He said if we get the right players in then definitely. Now I think it is showing what I can do there.

“I was 22/23 at Stoke, playing right-back so I wasn’t going to complain playing for my home club. You work hard for the manager in front of you. I went to Derby believing I could do both. It was Birmingham where I thought people need to know me as a centre-half.

“Anyone who comes in needs to know that. I am glad I was brought up here as a centre-half, people knew that, unfortunately Tony came in and played me at full-back again. I am not going to complain because it is a privilege to play in a Middlesbrough shirt and I played a lot under him.”

Shotton was known for his long throws at under Pulis. Those have become a thing of the past under Woodgate. “I don’t take as many throws because we try to play football now!” smiled Shotton. “One game a few weeks ago we were running out of time so I threw it in. There will be the odd one, but we want to play a different way.”

Many might be surprised by Shotton’s comments, given he has played under Pulis twice. What is clear, though, is that he is loving being part of the change of direction and approach under Woodgate, on and off the pitch.

“I thought I had a brilliant change over at Birmingham,” said Shotton. “But this group now really is the best I have ever been around. Unity. Everyone is together, no one argues. There’s table tennis tables, pool, Playstations … that helps because it keeps people in after lunch. It keeps everyone together instead of rushing off. It’s good craic and that is what the club needs.

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. It truly is. Some dressing rooms are better than others but I mean it when I say this is the top one I have been in because of how we are together. The new lads that have come in have bought into it, they have come on board.

“The training helps as well. There’s positive training. From Pulis last year, it was a different training regime. There is always a ball but there’s some laughing and joking, then when we get to the changing room everyone is still full of life.”

What Middlesbrough and Shotton need to do next is deliver more positive results. A third defeat of the season at Cardiff on Saturday has left them six points shy of the play-off zone ahead of this weekend’s visit of Sheffield Wednesday.

“We knew Saturday wasn’t going to be easy,” he said. “The frustrating thing was that we had a game plan and having conceded so early we had to try to stick to it while trying to get a goal back. We dropped into their style of play too much, didn’t get the passes out from the back to midfield. We let ourselves down that way.

“We have a lot of young lads in the squad now who will be learning every week. The consistency we all need will come together. Too often it is not clicking as one. Robbie Keane said it to us on Saturday, one game soon we will run through a team four-five-six even. It’s just not coming together at the right time at the moment.”