Emanuel Pogatetz insists he will always hold fond memories of his time at Middlesbrough after deciding to join Hannover. The defender told the club's official website: "Hopefully people will remember me as someone who gave everything.

"Hopefully people remember my commitment, that I always gave 100% in every game. I want to keep a good relationship with all the fans here and part on good terms."

He added: "I'm sad to be leaving because I wanted to stay with Middlesbrough. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach an agreement. I was injured quite a lot last year, the club was concerned that I may not play enough games.

"I can understand the way the club was thinking, but this will be a new chapter in my career, to play in a different league, against different clubs and with different players. In a career in football you're on the move all the time, you just have to get on with it."