STEVE McCLAREN was the man responsible for recruiting Chris Riggott and the composed defender wants to give him the perfect send-off as Middlesbrough manager tonight.

McClaren's last match in charge will be this evening's UEFA Cup final with Sevilla in Eindoven before his attentions turn to taking over from Sven-Goran Eriksson after next month's World Cup.

Riggott, who arrived as a deadline day signing from Derby along with Malcolm Christie in January 2003, will be sorry to see the manager leave.

The 25-year-old, though, is determined to ensure McClaren has a UEFA Cup winner's medal to cherish from his five years in charge at the Riverside Stadium.

"The manager brought me to the club and having also worked as a young lad at Derby with him I know all about what he is about," said Riggott.

"I have always said he has every credential going for him and I'm sure he will do a good job. It will be a loss to this club and we would like to send him off with the trophy."

Riggott's close friend, Stuart Parnaby, echoed his team-mate's sentiments and is relishing the opportunity to be part of the Middlesbrough side that makes history tonight.

"It has been a good five years, the manager gave me my debut which I'm very grateful for and hopefully we can let him go out on a good note," said the 23-year-old, whose appearance tonight will also be a terrific fillip for the club's outstanding Academy.

He added: "This whole final thing is something I have never experienced before but I'm just looking forward to it.

"I would like to see it happen to me more and more in the future. It's one experience that will be fantastic and I want the outcome to be a good one so that it will stay with me for the rest of my life."

When Riggott left Derby they were struggling to make an impact in the Championship, a far cry from the defender's rise to become one of the most consistent defenders in the Premiership.

And he admits that when he did leave Pride Park it would have been difficult to imagine how quickly he would be making his arrival on to a European final stage.

"When myself and Malcolm signed this was the kind of occasion we had hoped for," said Riggott. "I had not expected a UEFA Cup final but the quality of the players that were here when we signed suggested we would be on the rise.

"That was one of the main reasons we signed. I have enjoyed the last few years here and hopefully there will be a few more successful years to come, even after the manager has left."