Rav van den Berg has made his and Middlesbrough’s aim for the upcoming campaign clear.
Boro are now just a few days away from getting their third season with Michael Carrick underway.
Middlesbrough kick off their 2024/25 Championship season at the Riverside Stadium on August 10th versus Swansea City.
Marcus Forss and Tommy Smith will miss out against Swansea due to injuries they suffered in the 2023/24 campaign.
Middlesbrough’s promotion chances for the new season look quite high, with Opta predicting them to finish second in the Championship.
This would be a major improvement on where they ended the previous season, sitting eighth in the table and four points off the top six.
However, the Teessiders should, on paper at least, be firmly in the promotion picture come May 2025.
Injury woes and too many signings impacted Boro’s form last term but now those issues have been solved, Carrick should be able to guide the club into the play-off spots at the very minimum.
Rav van den Berg reveals Middlesbrough goal
If Middlesbrough are to return to the Premier League for the first time in seven years, they will need all of their top stars to perform.
One player who could be crucial in Boro’s promotion push in 2024/25 is Rav van den Berg.
The centre-back enjoyed a prolific debut campaign in England, winning the Middlesbrough Player of the Year award.
Van den Berg was backed to play Champions League football after his starring 2023/24 as well.
Now, the Dutchman has outlined Middlesbrough’s goal for the upcoming season, as per Teesside Live.
He said: “I don’t really feel different in a football way, but I think I had a decent season, and that means your confidence is better.
“It has made me more confident I think, because it’s nice to have had a good season. I’m really looking forward to the new season now.
“I think I had a few good games last season, but I am hoping that the new season will see a new level of consistency.
“I can’t wait for the season to start, so we can show the fans we can achieve our goal, which is winning promotion this season.”
Who will be Middlesbrough biggest promotion rivals
Leicester City and Southampton earning promotion to the Premier League last term has weakened the Championship somewhat.
The three sides who dropped down from the Premier League in 2023/24 – Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town – are not as strong as the teams who just went up.
However, the former of that trio now have Scott Parker in the dugout and should be among the favourites to go up.
Leeds United, who lost to Southampton in the play-off final in May, will also be in contention for promotion.
But the Whites may not be as dominant as last time out as a number of their key players have been sold in the current transfer window.
Darkhorses like Coventry City and Norwich City will also prove stern tests for Middlesbrough to overcome if they want to seal a return to the top flight.
But overall, the second division looks somewhat weaker going into 2024/25 while Boro as a squad appear to be on the rise.