GAIZKA MENDIETA has reaffirmed his intentions to remain at Middlesbrough for the next four years and help the club push for more major honours.

Despite signing at the Riverside for five years last summer - the first is a loan deal which runs out at the end of this season - speculation surrounding his future has never gone away.

Reports have suggested that many clubs in his Spanish homeland have been monitoring his progress and are considering a move for the midfielder when the transfer window reopens next month.

But Mendieta, who helped Boro to silverware in February when they won the Carling Cup, insists he has no intentions of turning his back on Teesside just yet.

The 30-year-old, who has a appeared in a Champions League final, is looking forward to playing his part for Boro in the club's first ever European adventure.

"My first year in the Premiership has gone really well and we have already helped Middlesbrough win their first trophy," said Mendieta, who should be in the Boro side at Liverpool on Sunday.

"That means we will be playing in the UEFA Cup for the first time too. There are four league games left and I am very happy.

"I have always liked English football and I adapted quickly to my new teammates. The most difficult period was during the winter, from October to February, because you end up playing up to four games a week."

Mendieta made a name for himself at Valencia before being sold for nearly £30m to Lazio in 2001. However, he struggled to settle and was allowed to spend last season on loan at Barcelona.

At Camp Nou, Mendieta failed to hit the heights he reached at Valencia and now he believes he is recapturing his best form in England.

"The best a footballer can hope for is playing every week," said Mendieta.

"If you know you are going to play regularly, then you are always going to give your best.

"I want to complete the four years of my contract, although you are never sure what might happen in the future. But at the moment I do not want to return to Spain."

Meanwhile, Boro's Bolo Zenden hopes he has done enough to cement his place in Holland's European Championships plans.

Zenden, on loan until the end of the season from Chelsea, was instrumental in his country's 4-0 success over Greece on Wednesday night.

The winger scored one and set up two of the goals in Eindhoven and now looks a certainty to be named in the squad for Euro 2004 in Portugal.

And Zenden insists playing regularly for Boro has helped him to impress national team boss Dick Advocaat.

"I am pleased with my form. The coach told me to get regular football and I'm confident to go to Portugal," he said.

"It's going to be hard out there, though, because we play Germany, then the Czechs and then Latvia. It's going to be a really tough tournament."

A young Boro reserve side last night drew 0-0 with West Brom at The Hawthorns.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.