Hasselbaink may have Boro future, says McClaren

MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren hinted in-form striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink could have a future at the club after his two-goal blast against West Brom further eased relegation fears.

Hasselbaink, 33, took his goal tally to seven in the last 10 games as Boro moved eight points clear of the bottom three.

The Dutch player is out of contract in the summer and last month was linked with a move to West Brom, Fulham and Charlton. But he showed that he still has a major role to play with Boro in the final three months of the current campaign.

McClaren said: “He is playing well and scoring goals which we know he can do. He was our top scorer last season and in January when there was speculation about him I said he would be an important player for us from now until the end of the season. He’s proving that. Will Jimmy be here next season? That is not out of the question,” he said.

West Brom manager Bryan Robson said midfielder Nigel Quashie will be fined following his sending off for kicking out at Boro’s George Boateng after he had fallen to the ground.

Quashie now faces a four-game ban for his 55th minute red card as he was also given his marching orders earlier in the season with Southampton.

Robson said: “He has let himself and his team-mates down. We could have given them even more problems with 11 men.”

Albion are now only three points ahead of third-from-bottom Birmingham, who have a game in hand, but Robson managed to find some positives from the performance.

He said: “We passed the ball well and put them on the back foot. I just think we had opportunities around their box.

Opta Fact: Boro kept only their second clean sheet in their last 10 top-flight away games.

Opta Fact: WBA have lost three of their last four Premiership home games.

WEST BROM: Kuszczak, Albrechtsen (Inamoto 81), Curtis Davies, Clement, Robinson, Greening, Wallwork, Quashie, Kamara, Campbell (Kozak 58), Kanu (Ellington 81).

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Queudrue, Riggott, Southgate, Parnaby, Mendieta (Davies 80), Cattermole, Boateng, Pogatetz, Hasselbaink (Maccarone 72), Yakubu (Viduka 88).

Referee: M Dean.