Focused Middlesbrough midfielder Jonathan Greening has blasted his critics by insisting: "I'm happy with what I'm doing."

After a promising start to his Boro career following his £2m switch from Manchester United in the summer, Greening has been the target for criticism from sections of the Riverside crowd during the club's slump.

However, after a revival which has seen Steve McClaren's side lose just twice in 13 games during 2002, Greening believes he has just put all talk of his performances to the back of his mind.

"A few people have been saying a few things about me but I've just shrugged it off and not let it bother me," said the 23-year-old, who is playing consistently in the Premiership for the first time in his career.

"I am just trying to play as well as I can and I think I'm doing OK.

"It's been hard to a certain extent. At Man. United I only made about 15 appearances and only four or five of them were starts.

"At York I only started three games and came off the bench ten times.

"It's the first time I've been playing consistent first team football. People sometimes forget that.

"But I've maintained my place in the team so I must be doing something right.

"The manager is happy with me and I won't let what people say about me affect the way I'm playing."

Boro's 1-0 victory over Leicester at the Riverside on Saturday, courtesy of a freak own goal by Frank Sinclair, saw the hosts extend their gap between themselves and the relegation zone.

And Greening went close to scoring only his second goal of the season against the Foxes, when his 64th minute 20-yard shot hit the post.

"As soon as I hit it I thought it was in but it curled at the last minute and hit the post, which I was gutted about to be honest," said Greening, whose only goal for Boro came in the 2-1 win at Leicester on September 17.

But, despite not scoring, he was delighted with the points and felt sorry for unlucky Sinclair. Greening admitted: "This is a vital win for us and we are not underestimating how vital it was.

"Last week we played well against West Ham and lost; against Leicester we did not play quite as well and won.

"Sometimes that's the way it goes and we are not going to moan about it.

"I couldn't believe it to be honest. Beni was closing him down and I was closing down the left-back.

"When he hit it I thought to myself 'bloody hell he's hit that hard' and when it went in I didn't know what to do. It was a bit surreal and I just started celebrating with Beni. There's nothing you can say to someone when it happens like that."