Middlesbrough's England winger Stewart Downing has finally put pen to paper on his new five-year contract.

The club confirmed on Tuesday that the 23-year-old had signed the deal, which he agreed 10 days ago, on Monday night.

Downing's decision to stay with his hometown club came as a major boost to manager Gareth Southgate, who has insisted all along that he did not want the club's academy graduate to leave.

Downing had more than two years left on his existing contract, but was offered a new deal after forcing his way into the England squad and proving a key player for Middlesbrough.

Speculation over Downing's future on Teesside mounted last month as rumours of interest from Tottenham and Everton persisted.

However, it was team-mate Jonathan Woodgate who finally headed for the bright lights of White Hart Lane.

The defender made an instant impact on Sunday when he headed home the goal which won the Carling Cup final against Chelsea, having cited Spurs' greater ambition as one of his reasons for leaving the north-east.

However, fellow England international Downing is convinced he can achieve his dreams on Teesside.

Having been an unused substitute for the 2004 Carling Cup final before finishing on the losing side in the UEFA Cup final two years ago, he knows exactly what he wants.

Asked what extending his stay at Boro means to him, Downing said: "Everything. I am a local lad.

"But the big thing is, I want to win something. I know I was involved in the Carling Cup final, but I didn't play.

"I want more than that, I want to play in a final. We were unlucky in the UEFA Cup, we were up against a really good team in Sevilla.

"But I am really confident about this year that we have got a really good chance.

"We have just got to go out and get the result."

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