Boro’s loan rangers consider their futures

CARLING CUP glory and the prospects of European football have left Middlesbrough’s loan rangers hungry for permanent deals.

Dutch midfielder Bolo Zenden, who picked up the man of the match award at the Millennium Stadium for his superb display in the 2-1 final win over Bolton, and full-back Danny Mills started the season facing uncertain futures.

Zenden was one of the casualties of billionaire Roman Abramovich’s spending spree at Chelsea while Mills was frozen out by then Leeds boss Peter Reid and had little choice but to look elsewhere to resurrect his career.

But both woke yesterday in the knowledge that they have a Carling Cup winner’s medal to remind them of their big day out in Cardiff and that they have written themselves into Teesside’s footballing legend.

However, they also knew that, come the end of the current campaign, their immediate prospects remain doubtful as their loan deals draw to an end.

Both admitted that the prospect of European football with a club which is on the up is an attractive proposition.

“I’ve always said since I came in that I’ve really enjoyed my time, really appreciated the way the people treat me,” said Zenden, who made the first goal for Joseph Job with just two minutes gone and then slotted home the seventh-minute penalty which put Boro in dreamland.

“I’m really happy with the technical staff and all the other people that work at the club. The only fact is that I’m still owned by Chelsea, so what happens at the end of the season, we’ll have to see. It’s not all up to me, is it, so we’ll see.

“My dad takes care of my business, so it’s something that will come at the end of the season.”

Mills indicated that he would be happy to stay after seeing Boro’s attempts to tie up a permanent deal with his cash-strapped employers fall through during the January transfer window.

Football is strange,” he said. “It has many twists and turns, as we saw yesterday. It was a fantastic day for the club, European football beckons and if I’m part of that, then great.

“Like I’ve said before, that’s out of my hands. It’s obviously nice to win a first major medal and we’ll just go on to the end of the season and hopefully climb up the table now.”