JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink last night revealed that finishing his career with Middlesbrough was his "biggest remaining ambition in football".

But, despite finishing last season as the club's leading scorer, the 33-year-old also admitted that he would be playing for his future in the next six months.

Hasselbaink's current contract expires at the end of the season and, as yet, there have been no discussions over extending the Dutchman's stay at the Riverside.

A number of leading Dutch clubs are understood to be monitoring his situation - Boro's forthcoming UEFA Cup opponents AZ Alkmaar are reportedly keenest to sign him - while Turkish side Fenerbahce have also been linked with a summer swoop.

But after forcing his way back into Boro's starting line-up in recent weeks, Hasselbaink has no intention of going anywhere.

The former Leeds and Chelsea striker is hoping to play for two more seasons before hanging up his boots, and he would like to be spending both of those on Teesside.

"If I have the opportunity of finishing my career with Middlesbrough, I will grab it with both hands," said Hasselbaink, who joined Boro from Chelsea last summer. "I am still hungry for success and there are still a lot of things I want to do, but that is my biggest remaining ambition.

"My contract is up at the end of this season and, in a perfect world, I would like to play for two more seasons after that. In a really perfect world, both of those seasons would be here at Middlesbrough.

"People ask me about when I want to stop playing but really it is a case of asking myself whether I want to carry on playing for two more seasons after this one. I have asked myself that question and the answer is that I do.

"Unfortunately, though, it is not just up to me. I have to show everyone that I still have the ability and want to win."

That will to win has been clearly evident in recent weeks as Hasselbaink has muscled out strike partner Mark Viduka to partner the free-scoring Aiyegbeni Yakubu in Boro's attack.

Despite scoring 16 goals as the Teessiders qualified for the UEFA Cup last season, the Dutchman started just three of the club's opening ten league games this term as Steve McClaren opted for a lone striker.

Hasselbaink aired his frustrations after scoring the only goal of the game in Boro's UEFA Cup win over Grasshoppers - claiming McClaren's rotation policy was doing more harm than good - and, since then, he has been an ever-present in the starting line-up.

A Carling Cup winner against Everton was followed by another goal in the 4-1 demolition of Manchester United, but Hasselbaink remains convinced that there is still more to come.

"I want to score as many goals as possible and, at the moment, I am not happy with my total for the season," he admitted.

"I have scored one in the Premiership, one in the UEFA Cup and one in the League Cup and, if I am honest, that is not really good enough for me.

"I have to show people that I can still score goals and that I still have the same hunger and desire as I had when I first joined the club. I know that to be the case, but other people have to be convinced of it as well."

For other people, read McClaren. The Boro boss remains an avowed admirer of Hasselbaink's direct style but, with the likes of Viduka, Szilard Nemeth, Malcolm Christie and Danny Graham also on the club's books, difficult decisions will have to made next summer.

For now, though, all Hasselbaink can do is continue scoring. If he does that, the striker is certain that goals will bring the reward of a cherished new deal.

"I know it will be sorted out at the end of the season and that is good enough for me," he said. "At the moment, I am just concentrating on my football.

"What happens after that will happen. I want to enjoy my football and play as well as I can this season. If I do that, it will be good for Middlesbrough and it will be good for me.

"If I do well and score a lot of goals, Middlesbrough will come calling for me. I am not afraid of that because I know it will happen."