THE long-term future of Middlesbrough loanee Zack Steffen is up in the air, with the goalkeeper revealing he "doesn't have any plans" to return to Manchester City in the summer.

Steffen has only made 21 appearances in four years at City and after a full season of regular football at Boro, the American says he wants to continue playing rather than return to the Etihad to sit on the bench.

Steffen has made 34 appearances for Boro this season, only missing four league games due to a knee injury, and has been key to the transformation under Michael Carrick, with the goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet and acting as not only the last line of defence but the starting point of attacks.

For all Steffen is very highly rated by Carrick, his current wage packet at Manchester City makes a permanent move unlikely, especially if Boro fail to win promotion. Even if Boro do go up, Steffen would have to accept a wage cut if he was to join Boro.

Where the keeper will end up is unclear, but it seems certain his days at Manchester City are numbered.

“I don’t think I’ll go back,” he told the media in the States while away with the American national team.

“No, I want to be playing. Although I had a great time at City and I love those guys, and obviously [it’s] an amazing club, I don’t really have any plans to go back.”

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Steffen's loan at Boro hasn't come without its difficulties - with some fans at times critical of the goalkeeper - but Carrick has repeatedly stressed the 27-year-old's importance and the stopper has thoroughly enjoyed his time on Teesside so far.

He said: “I think this year has brought me some peace and understanding of who I am and what kind of goalkeeper I am.

“I’ve dived heavily into my faith, and that’s helped as well. Confidence is good, still striving for bigger and better heights, and bigger goals and dreams.”

Steffen's USA call-up for the current international break was a big boost for the keeper after the heartbreak of being left out of the World Cup squad.

“It was tough,” he said of his Qatar omission.

“God tested me. It definitely wasn’t easy, as you can imagine, just surprising and, yeah, just not what I expected. And it wasn’t part of my plan, but I know that God ultimately has a greater plan and path for me.”