BORO KEEPER’S MINOR OP DELAYS PRE-SEASON
IRELAND INTERNATIONAL RANDOLPH THINKING POSITIVELY FOR NEW SEASON AFTER SURGERY
Middlesbrough keeper Darren Randolph faces a late start to pre-season after having a minor abdominal operation in Germany.
The Republic of Ireland international, signed from West Ham in a £5million deal last summer, had been troubled for months with pain, but the surgery has been a success.
Randolph told mfc.co.uk: “Touch wood, everything went well.
“The next few weeks are a case of resting and recovery now before we start again for pre-season.
“It had been a case of waiting until the end of the season for the surgery.
“I played for several months with the problem, and there were times when it was quite painful, but the most important thing was being able to play in the games and then get it sorted at the end.”
Boro’s season ended last month with defeat to Aston Villa in the Championship play-off semi-final, going down 1-0 on aggregate.
The 31-year-old – an everpresent throughout last season’s league campaign, said: “It was disappointing to lose out.
“I don’t think there was much to choose between us over the course of the two games, and, in the end, that one goal settled it.
“When you look at the bigger picture, we didn’t achieve our overall aim of promotion, but we got ourselves into the playoffs, and we have to draw on that experience and take that into next season now.
“You won’t find anyone dwelling on what might have been. You have to move on, draw on the positives, and come back stronger.
“It’s all about looking forward now, and getting ready for the new season.”
Meanwhile, Boro are bracing themselves for a bid as former boss Garry Monk sets his eyes on winger Marvin Johnson.
Monk, who brought exMotherwell man Johnson to the Riverside Stadium from Oxford United for a fee believed to be around £2.5million last summer, is keen to reunite with the pacy attacker at Birmingham.
Reports from the Midlands suggest that the 27-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements by Boro chief Tony Pulis and would be keen on a move to the city of his birth. Birmingham are desperate to strengthen their options out wide and Johnson – who played just eight minutes for Boro after Pulis took charge in midseason – is deemed to fit the bill. League One club Walsall have signed released Burnley winger Josh Ginnelly on a one-year contract. He had 14 games on loan at the Saddlers in 2016-17.
Walsall, though, have lost goalkeeper Mark Gillespie to Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell on a two-year deal, and will challenge exSunderland keeper Trevor Carson at Fir Park.