FULL-BACK Robbie Stockdale last night insisted he bears no grudges against former boss Bryan Robson for stalling his Middlesbrough career.

Birthday boy Stockdale, 22 today, is back in favour at the Riverside under new manager Steve McClaren and looking to make the right-back position his own after ousting the long-serving Curtis Fleming.

But Stockdale admits he is mystified as to why Robson, who handed him his senior debut at 18 while still a trainee, completely overlooked him last season and farmed him out on a month's loan to Sheffield Wednesday.

Stockdale said: "I honestly don't know why I didn't get a game last season. I never really sat down with Bryan Robson and asked him.

"It was a strange season for me because it started with me winning my first England Under-21 cap here at the Riverside against Georgia.

"I went to Sheffield and I enjoyed my time there. It was good for me to go on loan because I was a bit down here with not getting into the squad.

"Reserve football isn't great and Wednesday are a massive club. I came back here hoping I would get a chance, but it just didn't happen.

"But I bear no grudges. I think I was just out of favour. The manager had his own ideas then Terry Venables came in halfway through the season and his objective was just to keep us up. It proved he chose the right players because we did stay up.

"If things had been the same for me this season as they were last year, I would have been away in the summer.

"But with the new manager telling everyone they started with a clean slate, that was incentive enough for me to stay because I've still got two more years to run on my contract.''

Stockdale is convinced he has become a better player under the new regime, who have stepped up his tuition with specialist coaching sessions.

"It's interesting coming to work to see what we're going to do,'' said Stockdale. "Steve Harrison takes myself and Franck Queudrue on an afternoon to do full-back play.

"It's one-to-one coaching and it's something I've never had before. Steve was a defender himself so he looks after the back-four with specialist coaching, which is really beneficial to me.''

Stockdale strengthened his first-team claims when he scored as a substitute in Boro's 2-2 draw at Chelsea two months ago, and he has held his place in the last seven games while Republic of Ireland international Fleming has joined First Division Birmingham on loan.

But Stockdale expects 33-year-old Fleming to return to Boro determined to win back his place. "I'm good friends with Curtis and I'm sure when he comes back he'll want his place again,'' said Stockdale.

"He was the first to come up to me and say 'good luck' when I got into the team. I've not been in football long but I know it can change very quickly.

"I'm a local lad and I want to stay here; this is the club I've always wanted to play for.

"But I know I have to stay on my toes because we've got some excellent young players and I think they'll all be pushing for first-team places in the next couple of seasons.

"We've got England youth internationals like David Murphy, who's been in the first team this season. It's good for the young players because we know the accent here is on youth.''

Read more about the Boro here.