JONATHAN Woodgate revealed he kept a keen eye on Middlesbrough's battle to avoid relegation last season - despite having been sacked by the club.

Woodgate departed Boro in June, with the club teetering above the Championship's drop-zone.

Under his tenure, Woodgate won just nine of his 41 matches in charge and left the Teesside club only out of the relegation spots on goal difference.

However, Neil Warnock came in and steered Boro to safety with four wins from their final eight matches. He has since fired the north east club into the promotion picture this season, with Middlesbrough currently ninth, three points behind Cherries.

The two sides go head-to-head tomorrow with this the first chance for the Nunthorpe-born boss to tackle his former employers.

"I’ve got no point to prove," Woodgate told the Daily Echo when discussing the clash with Middlesbrough.

"I’ve got a point to prove to myself to try and get Bournemouth in the play-off positions and into the Premier League. That’s my objective.

"I’ll show no emotion in the game. I just want to win the game."

Asked if he still watched Middlesbrough's matches towards the end of last season when Warnock took charge, Woodgate added: "I spoke to the press officer and got a (stream) code for all the games because I want them to do well.

"I know a lot of the staff at the club personally, who I’m friends with. A lot of people behind the scenes.

"If they’d have gone down, they might’ve lost their jobs and that’s the last thing I want to see. People who I know in that situation.

"So listen, I’m pleased that they had the run they did, even though in my view we’d have still stayed up (under me)."

Woodgate, who grew up in Middlesbrough and went to watch them as a boy, played more than 100 times for the club across two spells, before taking over as manager in 2019.

But the 41-year-old insists he will be able to separate that bond come kick-off on Good Friday.

"No emotion, just got to get on with it. I’ve got to be cold when I’m out there with no emotion," he said.

"I’ve got to make the right decisions in the game, so there will be no emotion attached in the game at all for me. I want Bournemouth to win at the end of the day. I’m manager of their football club.

"I hold a lot of respect for Middlesbrough Football Club, they’re doing well this season and they’ve got a really good manager in there who has had eight promotions and done well with them last season.

"They’ve got 10 players in this season, so they’ve given it a real go and they’re up there.

"We know what type of game it’s going to be. We know how Neil sets up his sides and they’re difficult to play against, difficult to beat and they’ve got some good players."

Asked if he was surprised to see Middlesbrough much further up the table this season, Woodgate added: "No, not one bit because I know what type of manager he is. And with the 10 new signings that he’s brought in, they were always going to have a good chance.

"He’s a very good manager. He motivates his players to do well, so it didn’t surprise me in the slightest."

Discussing the expectation which came from managing his hometown team, Woodgate said: "There’s a weight of expectation, but if I get offered the job, I’m not going to say no, am I?

"I’m going to take it. I’m an ambitious guy.

"It was a difficult period, but you look to move on, you look to learn and you do things slightly differently.

"I enjoyed my time at Middlesbrough. Okay, it didn’t end well.

"But I’m thoroughly enjoying my time at Bournemouth. The staff that I’m working with at the club have all been really, really good, especially with the situation we found ourselves in.

"I’d only been here 48 hours and then plunged into action. But I’m enjoying it and learning every single day."