Paddy McNair endured an up-and-down stint during his time at Middlesbrough.
After a two-year spell with Sunderland, Paddy McNair made the move across the North East to join Middlesbrough.
Boro paid around £5m to the Black Cats in order to bring the former Manchester United player to the Riverside Stadium.
McNair was signed under the management of Tony Pulis, who opted to play the central midfielder at right-back for much of 2018/19.
Middlesbrough finished seventh in the Championship that season, one point outside the play-offs.
Pulis left the club in the summer of 2019 and was replaced by Boro legend and now coach, Jonathan Woodgate.
McNair scored six and assisted two while playing largely as a centre-back in 2019/20 as the Teessiders finished 17th in the division.
The 29-year-old has since worked under several more managers including Neil Warnock, Chris Wilder, and current boss, Michael Carrick.
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Paddy McNair explains Middlesbrough exit
McNair featured 30 times for Boro in Carrick’s debut season, helping the club finish fourth and reach the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs.
However, the versatile defender fell out of favour somewhat in the previous campaign.
McNair only made 21 league appearances despite Middlesbrough enduring an injury crisis at the back throughout much of 2023/24.
Then, at the end of last season, the Northern Irishman left the Riverside when his contract expired.
McNair has since joined San Diego FC in the MLS but will spend the first half of 2024/25 on loan with West Bromwich Albion.
Now, speaking to BBC Tees Sport, McNair has opened on his exit from Middlesbrough and spoken out on the ‘disappointing’ 2023/24 season.
He said: “I think it was the right time to move on. I had a chance to leave last summer.
“I knew going into the season ‘this is my last season here’ and mentally that didn’t really change at any point throughout the season.
“So I knew going into the season this my last season here. But I still enjoyed it, I tried my best.
“I’ll say it was sort of a disappointing season in the end, missing out on the playoffs. The season before we came so close to the play-off final.”
Should Middlesbrough have let Paddy McNair go
McNair was not a regular starter during his final season at the club but he was still a useful squad player.
He could play right-back, centre-back, and in the centre of midfield for the Teessiders.
Middlesbrough are lacking options at right-back currently with Tommy Smith still sidelined from his injury last season.
There are also still question marks over the fitness of Dael Fry and Darragh Lenihan after their issues during Boro’s pre-season schedule.
In turn, Rav van den Berg and Matt Clarke are currently Middlesbrough’s only fully fit centre-back options ahead of their season opener versus Swansea City this weekend.
McNair could have provided cover for said duo if he was kept at the club, as well as for an ageing Luke Ayling, so him leaving may not have been the best decision.
However, it is not known if the Teessiders tried to offer the player a new contract as McNair’s comments suggest he was pretty set on a move this summer anyway.