AS the most in-form striker on Middlesbrough's books, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink has urged Steve McClaren to reward his recent goal glut with a guaranteed place in the team.

Thursday night's opener in Stuttgart made it five goals in seven games for the Dutchman, a record made even more impressive by the fact that he has started two of them on the bench.

Most sides in the Premiership would give anything for a striker in such a rich vein of form but, at the Riverside, it is not even enough to earn Hasselbaink a regular starting spot.

He has kicked off just five of Boro's 11 matches since the turn of the year and, with Aiyegbeni Yakubu poised to return to the side following his demotion two days ago, the 33-year-old is unlikely to add to that tally when the Teessiders visit Preston tomorrow afternoon.

It is a source of obvious frustration to a player whose current contract expires in three months time and, with a proposed move to Fulham having fallen through last month, Hasselbaink is desperate to avoid a further spell on the sidelines with his future far from secure.

"That's my fifth goal in seven games now so what more can I do?" said the former Chelsea striker. "What more can I say with my goals?

"I have always said that I want to play regular football and that still stands. If you ask all footballers, they will all tell you the same thing. They want to score goals and play in every match.

"If you are scoring, you want to keep the run going. I have never been happy sitting on the bench and that is not about to change now. I can't say too much because I have to watch what I say.

"All I can say is that I am not thinking about the end of the season at the minute. My only concern is playing as many games as possible for Middlesbrough and doing everything I can between now and May. My future is not important at the moment - I am only thinking about the next game against Preston."

Ironically, Boro would not have been playing at Deepdale had it not been for Hasselbaink. The Holland international opened the scoring as his side drew 1-1 at Coventry in the FA Cup fourth round, then grabbed the winner as the Sky Blues were subsequently beaten in a Riverside replay.

There was little to separate the sides on that occasion and, with Preston having gone almost five months without defeat, tomorrow's tie promises to be every bit as close.

"It will be another tough test," agreed Hasselbaink. "Preston are a very organised team. They are talented and we have to give them a lot of respect.

"But people say, 'Oh dear, you are playing Preston and you could get knocked out of the cup'. I say, 'Well I could walk outside and get knocked over by a bus'.

"It's a hard game but we are going there with a positive attitude. Everyone thought that a draw against Stuttgart would have been a good result, but they saw the kind of performance we are capable of and we beat them well. Why can't we do that every week?"

This week's win in Stuttgart came courtesy of Hasselbaink's opener and Stuart Parnaby's second-half strike.

Parnaby is one of the few players threatening to match Hasselbaink's goalscoring heroics at the moment and, after waiting 68 games to break his Middlesbrough duck, the versatile defender has now grabbed three goals in his last five games.

Thursday night's strike showcased a striker's eye for goal, something the 23-year-old has been developing since an early age.

"I was actually a striker when I was a kid," Parnaby explained. "I played there until I was 15 and then I was pushed back. I played in centre midfield for quite a few years after that, until I was eventually turned into a full-back. I can't go much further back, otherwise I'll be in goal!

"The gaffer told me to push on in the second half (of Thursday's game) for the second ball and it worked."

With the likes of Gaizka Mendieta and Lee Cattermole ready to return, Parnaby is likely to return to his preferred full-back role this weekend. But, while he is keen to carve out a niche of his own, the youngster is also willing to make the most of his versatility.

"I don't care where I play," he said. "I'm happy to play anywhere on the field. Obviously it's better to get a run of games in one position but, if the manager wants me to play anywhere, I'll be happy."