CHRIS RIGGOTT'S new role as Middlesbrough captain was not supposed to start like this.

Facing the media, after Saturday's humiliating defeat, the honest talking centre-back cut a forlorn figure in the Highbury tunnel.

At 25, and pulling the skipper's armband around his arm, he had a feeling of satisfaction and honour at the prospect of leading Boro out for the first time.

Ninety minutes of football later and Riggott's pride had turned into sheer disbelief as the young charges he had around him had just been handed the harshest of lessons by a rampant Arsenal.

In his early days at Derby he was given a tough taster of Premiership life. A 4-0 debut defeat at Chelsea in May 2000 and a 5-1 drubbing against Boro 18 months later.

But none of those even come close to the 7-0 hammering endured in north London - a result, he insists, was as hard for him to take as it was for the younger members of the squad.

"It was one of the proudest days of my career at the start but obviously it turned sour by the end," said Riggott, whose previous biggest defeat was a 5-0 reversal at Manchester United six years ago. "To lead the lads out was fantastic but by the end it was embarrassing.

"To nail exactly how I'm feeling I would say that I felt so much pride at the start and by the end it was one of the darkest days of my career. That's football, though, and we have got to react to it. There's no hiding from a result like this and it defines people's characters."

Despite only being in his mid-20s, Riggott was one of the experienced heads in the Boro side that lost so heavily at Arsenal.

In the back four, along with close friend Stuart Parnaby, he had to face Thierry Henry et al alongside teenage defenders Matthew Bates and Andrew Taylor, while another youngster David Wheater was a second half substitute.

And Riggott believes it is vitally important - with two important league fixtures against Wigan and Sunderland on the horizon after tomorrow's FA Cup replay with Nuneaton - the inexperienced players do not allow such an embarrassing scoreline to affect their confidence too much.

"Collectively you could sense players started fearing the worst when the first goal went in, the second went in and so on," he said. "Looking along the line all I could do was try to get the lads going and try to make sure they didn't go in themselves. The young lads have all got to make sure they do that because it's going to get a lot harder from here.

"We have got some massive games coming up after Nuneaton. I'm well aware of that and I am well up for the fight. We need 11 men out there with the Boro shirt on who feel pride at the thought of pulling it on. That's what we need."

With Ugo Ehiogu just the first to be moved on from the older heads in the Boro squad between now and the start of next season, Riggott believes new faces need to be added this month instead of relying too heavily on promising youngsters.

"It's vital that we find players in the mid-20s range. We have got lots of young players coming through but it's a results business and we have to all find a short term solution to the current situation for the good of the club," he said.

"This squad is at a transitional stage and the young players suggest this club has a bright future. It is the manager's call what he wants to do with the squad but at this stage I have to try to help the rest of the players through it."

Doriva's sending off on Saturday has added to manager Steve McClaren's problems, with the Brazilian due to miss the visit of Wigan on Saturday.

Transfer-listed Mark Schwarzer is likely to be recalled tomorrow because of a back injury sustained by Brad Jones.

* Arsenal captain Thierry Henry has confirmed that initial talks with Arsenal about new contract have begun but says there is still much to discuss before he seals a deal which will keep him at the club for the rest of his career.

Henry, who equalled Cliff Bastin's club best of 150 league goals for the club with a hat-trick in Saturday's 7-0 demolition, revealed that discussions with the board began earlier this week.

The French striker hopes the board and manager Arsene Wenger can match his own footballing aims and refused to put a time limit on a new deal.

''I have spoken briefly with the board and the manager in the last week,'' confirmed Henry. ''But we still have things to discuss.

''I just hope all the discussions show the club can match my sporting ambitions."

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