Defender Jonathan Woodgate has reversed his decision to retire and has signed a new one-year deal at Middlesbrough.
Woodgate, 35, had retired last week after three seasons at Boro but serious injury to new signing Alex Baptiste convinced him to return.
Karanka delighted to have Woodgate back
Boro manager Aitor Karanka said he "really appreciated his reaction" after Baptiste’s horror injury last week, and added "he is ready to come back".
Karanka has stated that his role won't be the same, but the goal is still clear: "He wants to come here to help us get promotion."
Jose Mourinho's former assistant admitted Woodgate "can be very important" as he is "a good person" and "a good lad".
He also said that the defender "was thinking about retiring 10 months ago" and has now reversed that decision. Karanka concluded, "We are close to being a family here, and we’re pleased to say ‘welcome back Woody.’”
An extension to a great career
The defender, who earned eight caps for England, the last of which came in a 2-2 with the Czech Republic at Wembley, was key in Middlesbrough's fourth place finish last season with some big performances in games against Derby and Wolves.
This season should see him appear less often with a transition to a coaching role expected for the former Real Madrid defender.
Another factor in Woodgate's return could be the return of Stewart Downing to the club. The 30-year-old agreed a five-year-deal to join the club, six years to the day he had left to Aston Villa. Despite West Ham manager Slaven Bilic's attempts to get him to stay, the lure of helping Middlesbrough gain promotion to the Premier League was too much for the ex-England international.
It will be Woodgate's 17th season in football during that he has played for Leeds United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Middlesbrough in two different spells, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City.
