Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has admitted Mark Viduka’s departure for Newcastle has made him ponder his own future.

Middlesbrough target Lee Dong-Gook came a step nearer to completing his move to Teesside today when he was awarded a work permit.

Middlesbrough will sit down with striker Mark Viduka next month in a bid to agree a new deal – amid continuing speculation that his future lies away from the Riverside Stadium.

As a player whose heroic qualities are revered in both host countries, it is fitting that South Korea and Japan should provide Hong Myung-bo with the stage to make World Cup history.