MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka has paid tribute to Grant Leadbitter after the midfielder ignored interest from elsewhere to commit his future to the club.

Leadbitter put pen to paper on a new three-and-a-half year contract at the Riverside Stadium yesterday after months of speculation surrounding his position.

The 28-year-old’s existing deal was due to expire next summer – he would have been able to speak to other clubs as early as January - with talks over an extension dragging on since the start of the season.

Nottingham Forest are known to have a long-standing interest in the former Sunderland midfielder having had a succession of bids rejected, and Leadbitter’s form in the first half of the season will have alerted other potential suitors.

However, Boro have moved to tie down a player who forms a crucial part of the squad both on and off the field, and Karanka explained why he was so desperate to make sure Leadbitter remained on Teesside.

“He means a lot to me and this football club,” Karanka said.

“He is an important player. Not just on the pitch, but in the changing room. The most important thing for me is that he could have had other options with him being out of contract at the end of the season, but he believes in the players and in the club.

“He’s the kind of player I want in my team, because he has character. He leads the game in the way that I like.

“When you asked me a month ago what was going to happen with him, I was calm because we knew he wanted to stay and we wanted him to stay.”

The news of Leadbitter’s new deal provided a positive end to a difficult week for the Teessiders.

Craig Hignett’s shock departure was followed by Karanka’s FA charge for misconduct after Blackburn’s late equaliser at the Riverside last Saturday.

Karanka dismissed reports former team-mate and Colorado Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni is in the frame to replace Hignett as his new assistant after the former USA international spent time at the club’s Rockliffe training base this week.

Hignett’s departure has caused a stir on Teesside with reports the pair were involved in a heated exchange in the wake of Saturday’s draw, but Karanka is confident the events of this week will not affect his players going into tomorrow’s trip to Millwall.

He said: “It could be one of the hardest weeks I’ve had since I came here, because everything has been concentrated on me, but I am strong and I have to work thinking about the game on Saturday.

“It’s my job. I am strong. I know I can go to my changing room every day because my players know they are a very good team.

“I can’t think that something bad is going to happen because of the things that have happened. We trained with Jamie Clapham (as assistant manager) for a couple of months and we won games.

“The message I want to transmit is that the club is always the most important thing and above everyone here.

“The main thing for the people is that the team wins games. If he (Hignett) is not here on Saturday and we win the game, everyone will be happy.

“If Aitor Karanka is here now and leaves or is sacked and Middlesbrough keep winning, everyone would be happy.”

Jonathan Woodgate emerged as a surprise candidate to become part of Karanka’s backroom staff this week and the Boro boss believes the defender would be well-suited to a role, although in the future.

“I have no doubt he is going to work here in the future, because he is a big part of this club,” the Spaniard said. “He’s the captain, but at the moment I’m very happy with him as a player.

“I can’t say whether it is going to be in one week or one month (for a replacement). We have to be very sure that his replacement is the best person for the job, like was the case with Higgy eight months ago.

“It is a complete coincidence with Pablo Mastroeni. I think there has been a miss-understanding, because the sporting director from Colorado Paul Bravo said he was coming here to work with me, but he is just hear to speak with me.

“I played with him in Denver. He was my captain and we have had a player from Colorado training with us this week. I have a very good relationship with him, he’s like a friend, and he has come in this week to exchange views and opinions.”