Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be hoping to send Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 'sulking all the way home' to Cardiff this weekend.Southgate is looking forward to Sunday's reunion with his former Boro team-mate when the striker returns to The Riverside for an FA Cup quarter-final tie.

Hasselbaink, 35, spent two years playing alongside Southgate, who decided not to renew his contract when he became manager in the summer of 2006.

"He was terrific to play with," Southgate said. "He had terrific drive, a tremendous desire to win, to score goals.

"He's one that if you won 4-0 and he hadn't scored, he'd be sulking all the way home."

That is precisely the outcome Southgate will be looking for on Sunday as shutting out Cardiff's main goal threat will give his side an even better chance of reaching the semi-finals at Wembley.

"We saw in the last round that he's still got that ability - one chance and it's in the back of the net," said Southgate.

The Boro boss will also be warning his troops of the former Holland international's ability to inspire those around him.

"In the dressing room, he was a leader. He was someone who demanded the best from everybody," said Southgate.

"At the time, some young players wouldn't like it, because he is demanding. But it gets the best out of you.

"I loved playing with people like him, like Paul Ince, who you knew if you'd switched off, they'd be on your case straight away.

"If you can't cope with that from a team-mate, you won't be able to cope with it from 30,000-40,000 people on a Saturday."

Southgate insisted it had not been an easy to tell Hasselbaink his Boro career was over.

"It was a difficult decision not to renew his contract because I played with him," he said.

"I felt at the time it was right to look to the future and he understood that.

"He's shown he can still score goals with Charlton and again with Cardiff and we know we'll have to be at our best to keep him out on Sunday."

Boro will be hot favourites to reach the semi-final stage at Wembley.

But Southgate is refusing to be distracted by the prospect of being within touching distance of the final.

"I haven't really thought about it too much. We're just thinking about the game with Cardiff," he said.

"For us, we're looking at Sunday as a great occasion in itself.

"We all know the prize that's there if we can win it.

"This weekend, we've got an opportunity to take everybody to Wembley and we want to take that opportunity."

Sunday's game is set to be a near sell-out, with Boro fans already snapping up their entire allocation.

Southgate came under fire for condemning the atmosphere during last weekend's 1-0 Premier League defeat to Reading.

"I mentioned I felt the atmosphere was flat and opened myself up to criticism," he said. "It's our job as a team to get the fans behind us.

"But I think the fans have to realise what a fantastic input they can have on that game."

He added: "The fans love the cup ties. We've only had the one at home this year and obviously this is the last one we can have at home this year.

"Hopefully they can have the influence on the game."

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