Matthew Bates was delighted with his Middlesbrough comeback in their defeat to Manchester United.

Bates has finally recovered from cruciate and medial knee-ligament injuries that required three operations and prevented him from playing for the club for more than two years.

"It's been hard, but I've had very good people around me: my mother, my family, my dad, my brothers and the club's medical staff," the defender said. "It has been a while."