Middlesbrough midfielder Jonny Howson racked up 700 appearances against Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night, and the 35-year-old shows no sign of slowing up.
Many wondered if the disappointment of losing out on promotion to the Premier League via a play-off defeat to Coventry might have spelled the end of Howson’s prolonged quest to help Boro to the big league.
He was certainly missed by the side who had to tackle the two leg affair without him after he picked up an injury at the back end of the season.
The Boro midfielder has made a recent return to fitness though, and was deemed fit enough to be on the bench against Millwall in the season opener, getting introduced in the second half.
Play-off hurt
In an interview with BBC Radio Tees, he revealed that he is as excited as ever for this season’s campaign. He said, “I’ll be honest, when the gaffer told me I’d be on the bench at the weekend, I did get that feeling like it was the first time again.
“When you’ve missed it so much, certainly missing out on those play-off games, that did really hurt. I’ve still got that buzz as big as ever, and I want to go on as long as possible.”
Howson was frustrated to miss out on the end of last season, but said that he believes it will be back to full fitness fairly quickly. Speaking of his frustration at missing games, he said, “I’ve missed large parts of pre-season and obviously missed the back end of last season.
“That’s very frustrating for me because I’ve been fortunate enough not to have too many injuries throughout my career.
“But it is part and parcel of football. Throughout my career, I believe I’ve looked after myself and that won’t be stopping now. So that gives me the best possible chance to get back as quickly as possible.”
Middlesbrough fans will be delighted that the experienced midfielder is in such good spirits. His knowledge at what it takes at this level and the reliability he possesses, is something Michael Carrick and his team will need for the season ahead, especially with the amount of young players in and around the squad.
Early days for new players
The former Leeds and Norwich man was impressed with Boro’s performance on Tuesday evening, as they came from behind to claim their first win of the season in the Carabao Cup game against Huddersfield.
“We were disappointed to concede towards the end and on another day we might have seen it off earlier with another goal or two, but we got through, got the win and there were some good performances as well.
“That’s what you want, because the way that we play as a team, the gaffer demands a lot of us.” Said the Boro skipper.
He believes that the team will improve even further once the new arrivals fully understand what is asked of them from head coach Carrick. “Tactically, we are very detailed and so for those new lads coming in it’s a lot to take on.
“It’s still early days for them and when you’re playing with new players it sometimes takes a little time. But tonight, certainly from the front lads, some of the movement and the play was excellent.