MIDDLESBROUGH skipper Jonny Howson has signed a contract extension that ensures he will remain with the club next season.

Howson, whose previous contract was due to expire at the end of this month, has signed a new one-year deal that will extend his association with the Teessiders into a seventh season.

The 34-year-old was as effective as ever last term, starting 44 of Boro’s 46 league matches as they narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs.

Having captained the club under Neil Warnock, he retained the armband under Chris Wilder is expected to continue in his role as skipper.

“We’re delighted we’ve managed to come to an agreement with Jonny,” said Wilder, who spelled out his desire to retain Howson in the latter stages of last season. “He was coming out of contract, and it’s a key signing for us.”

Having initially joined Boro in the summer of 2017, Howson, who has made 230 senior appearances for the club, is the only of Garry Monk’s signings in the wake of Premier League relegation to remain with the Teessiders.

While Howson has signed up for another season, Sammy Ameobi has left Boro after an injury-hit year that saw him fail to make a single senior appearance for the club.

Ameobi joined Boro on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest last summer, but was plagued by a persistent knee problem that meant he was unable to feature at all last term.

The 30-year-old has left the club as part of Wilder’s ongoing squad overhaul, and it remains to be seen whether he is able to pass a medical and secure a contract elsewhere.