BOLO ZENDEN has pointed the finger at Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb for making sure the Dutchman's return to the Riverside was one to forget.

Zenden's first Premiership outing in a Liverpool shirt was ironically on the Teesside turf he starred on for two years and he was jeered from start to finish by large sections of the home crowd.

Certain supporters gave him a good reception but the majority chose to boo his every touch and accuse him of greed.

Zenden turned down the initial contract extension from Boro early in the summer and says the way Lamb went about things left him with no choice but to leave.

The 28-year-old insists it looked as if he would be leaving the club before Liverpool's intervention.

"You have to be realistic; people forget quickly. I had two fantastic years here and last year I was the player of the year - as chosen by the fans. It is down to Keith Lamb trying to save his own face by blaming everything on me.

"He is the one that made the decision last year and made it very difficult for me to stay," said Zenden, who will be forever in Boro folklore after scoring a penalty in 2004's Carling Cup success.

"Liverpool came in but that was only at the end when things were obviously not going to work out with Keith Lamb.

"I don't want to get into details but it is clear that I'd had a fantastic season. I had enjoyed it at the club and I did not see anything that should have stood in my way to stay.

"But Keith Lamb made it difficult and then Liverpool came in and the choice was two clubs: One in the Champions League and the other in the UEFA Cup. I made my choice."

Midfielder George Boateng was sad to see fellow countryman Zenden depart but insists retaining the services of Mark Viduka - linked with a summer move to Newcastle - should ensure Boro enjoy a successful campaign.

"That we have not weakened the side is a very good thing. Especially at clubs like Middlesbrough they tend to lose three or four good players in the summer before they try to add. The biggest thing for me is that they didn't want to let Viduka go. We are building something here," said Boateng.

Joseph Job should complete a move to West Ham this week after holding positive talks over a permanent move to Upton Park.

Boro accepted an undisclosed bid from the Hammers on Friday and the Cameroon international was in London over the weekend to discuss personal terms.

Providing everything goes to plan, Job, who cost £3m in 2000, will complete a move away in time to face Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday.

Boro are still working on deals to bring Rudolph Douala and Fabio Rochemback in from Sporting Lisbon.

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