STEVE McClaren will take charge of his final game as Middlesbrough manager this evening, and the future England boss has promised to leave the club's first European trophy as his parting gift.

Five years after replacing Bryan Robson, McClaren is hoping to complete the final stage of his Riverside revolution when the Teessiders take on Spanish side Sevilla in the UEFA Cup final in Eindhoven.

The 45-year-old has already written his name into the record books by ending the club's 128-year trophy drought with a victory in 2004's Carling Cup final.

But, while that win raised McClaren's profile on the domestic stage, a success in the Philips Stadion tonight would elevate his status even higher.

Were he to join the likes of Don Revie, Bill Shankly, Sir Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho - all former UEFA Cup winners - the Yorkshireman would be joining a list of the all-time greats before he even began leading England in the international sphere.

Similarly, were Middlesbrough to join previous UEFA Cup winners like Real Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan, the self-styled 'Small town in Europe' would become fully-fledged members of the European elite.

Such a scenario seemed all but impossible 20 years ago, when the Ayresome Park gates were being locked as a financial crisis sent Middlesbrough crashing into liquidation.

Chairman Steve Gibson spearheaded a recovery programme that eventually saw the club return to the top-flight and, with Robson attracting the likes of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Juninho to the newly-built Riverside Stadium, the boom times returned to Teesside.

McClaren has maintained the momentum, with his five-year reign culminating in this evening's European showpiece in front of more than 9,000 disbelieving Middlesbrough fans.

Provided his side can emulate previous wins over Stuttgart, Roma, Basle and Steaua Bucharest, his 250th game in charge of Middlesbrough will also be his best.

"If we win, I will be leaving at our greatest moment," said McClaren, who insisted that last Friday's hastily-arranged press conference at Soho Square did not affect his side's preparations for this evening's game. "A lot of people have said our name is on the cup - it's up to us to grab the opportunity and make sure it is.

"When I came through the door five years ago, I wanted to make sure that when I eventually left, the club would be in a better condition than when I found it.

"I'm not saying it was a bad condition back then because it was a very well-run football club, but I think that's the case. We've taken it on and given it success, European football and a first trophy. If we're lucky enough to win the UEFA Cup, an even greater legacy will be there.

"It would be the most success this football club has ever had. That's what I would want to leave and that's what I would be most proud of.

"Everybody has made me aware of what was happening to Middlesbrough 20 years ago. Here we are 20 years later, and we find ourselves in a world event."

Gibson, who travelled to Eindhoven with the rest of the Boro squad yesterday, has done more than anyone to transform Middlesbrough's fortunes in the last two decades.

The 48-year-old was a director when the club was liquidated in 1986 and, from the moment it was re-born after a brief period of ground-sharing with Hartlepool, he became chairman in all but name.

The title matched the job description from 1994 onwards and, since then, he has devoted countless hours to building Boro's profile and stature.

This evening's final will be his greatest hour, but he insists it will only live up to its billing if Middlesbrough finish it with the trophy in their possession.

"We're in the UEFA Cup final," said Gibson. "I like saying it. I've said it a lot and I will continue to say it, but I don't want the disappointment of not winning it.

"That's easy for me to say, but the players need to want to win it and they do.

"There is a buzz around this place at the moment - a real desire by the players to bring this trophy home.

"You dream, that's what football is all about. We've made the progress we've wished for perhaps a bit slower than we anticipated.

"But anything else than winning it would be a huge disappointment. Not just to me, also to the players, to the fans and to the town.

"We're geared up to winning. Steve will have all the players ready, they will give as much as they can."

To become the first English winners of the UEFA Cup since Liverpool - who also beat Spanish opponents in Alaves when they triumphed in a nine-goal thriller in 2001 - Boro will need to see off a Sevilla side who are still pressing for Champions League qualification via a top-four finish in La Liga.

McClaren has been accused of kidology in the past but with the likes of Argentinian playmaker Javier Saviola in the opposition ranks, his warning that Sevilla will start this evening's game as favourites carried at least a semblance of truth.

"I think they are the favourites for the game," he said. "They have a good pedigree in European competition. Basle and Bucharest were good teams, but Sevilla are one of the top Spanish teams and everyone knows the Spanish league is technically very good.

"They are quick and inventive and remind me of Villarreal (who beat Boro 2-0 in last season's UEFA Cup), so it's not going to be easy and our game plan has to be right."

It is only to be hoped that gameplan does not involve conceding a three-goal head-start for the third game in a row.

After Massimo Maccarone's last-gasp winners at both the quarter-final and semi-final stage, Middlesbrough fans must boast the most frayed nerves in football. Tonight, though, they could be put through the wringer again.

"The comebacks have sent out a message about this Middlesbrough team," said McClaren. "We showed great attitude, great character and, in adversity, we know we can come back.

"We take that forward into this final. This run has given us great confidence and belief, and it has also frightened our opponents."

In the manner of Boro's two greatest games this season, McClaren will be hoping his Middlesbrough career also comes with a sting in its tail.