Mido set to fight to stay on at Boro

Jun 27 2010 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

PRODIGAL son Mido last night vowed to fight for his future at Middlesbrough – and save the Teessiders a small fortune.

The Egyptian striker has not played for Boro since making a loan move to Wigan in January 2009 after an injury-plagued 18 months at the Riverside.

But Mido, having since spent temporary spells at old club Zamalek and West Ham, is now fully fit, back in the North East and fiercely committed to proving himself to current Boro boss Gordon Strachan.

And the 27-year-old insisted he is unperturbed by talk that Strachan wants to sell him to help finance his summer spending.

Aware that his stock on Teesside may not be high, Mido will report for the start of pre-season training tomorrow hellbent on winning over hearts and minds.

“I explained to Middlesbrough at a meeting two weeks ago that I have a year left on my contract and want to stay and help get them back into the top flight,” Mido told the Sunday Sun.

“They had wanted to know how I was thinking, and I was clear in saying I would love to stay, get my head down and work hard to take Boro where they need to go.”

Insisting his fitness problems are behind him, Mido, now 27, is intent on proving another legacy of his past – his playboy image – is also history.