Cardiff City striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is backing Middlesbrough to see off Sheffield United in their FA Cup replay and setup a return to Teesside for himself.
"I've been really impressed with what Gareth has done," he added. "I was delighted the chairman stuck by him when things weren't going so well earlier in the season, and the wisdom of that decision is clear.
"Whenever I was in the dressing room with Gareth as a player, I always thought he would make a good manager. I didn't necessarily think he would be manager of Middlesbrough, but his success hasn't really surprised me."