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Aitor Karanka developed a passion for Middlesbrough that will always remain with him.

Former Boro boss Karanka, 43, and his family still live on Teesside, having taken the club, community and English football to their hearts.

There is no bitterness, no thought of a return to his native Spain, his two children are in school and his ambition is to get another managerial job in England.

Former Spain defender Karanka played at Real Madrid, won three Champions League trophies, worked with Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu and yet loves the passion of English football.

“It was not just an experience for me, but also for my family, my wife and my kids lived there with me, it was more than a football experience but also one for my family,” said Karanka.

(Image: Dan Mullan)

“I still live there. My kids are in schools, we really like the area, we feel really good there, we bought a house there, we live in Middlesbrough and if we have to leave then we will leave a lot of friends because everybody has been so supportive with us.

“Now two months later, I walk in the street in Middlesbrough, and everyone gives me their support. They were brilliant for me, the club will always be with me because of the amazing people.

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“In football you never know. But I would like for sure to stay in England. When you come here, you realise how big the game is. When you are abroad you look at the TV or see the games, but when you are inside it’s completely different. That’s why we would like to stay here.”

Karanka has spoken for the first time since losing his job in March and has also been quick to dispel the myth that he had fallen out with players and lost the dressing room.

(Image: Reuters)

There were stories of dressing room unrest as Middlesbrough struggled after Christmas and were eventually relegated after his departure. But he insists that the opposite is true.

“The main thing you can take as a coach is relationships,” said Karanka. “The last day after I had the meeting, I was taking all my things and the staff were with me.

“Some of them at the club who have worked with other managers, they told me: ‘wow, it’s the first time that 16 players came to the manager’s office and said thank you and good luck.’ The other five called me and sent me messages.

“It was a surprise for them, not for me, because the relationship I had with the players was amazing. When I arrived there we were fighting to stay in the Championship and then we went together to compete in the Premier League.

(Image: Chris Brunskill)

“All the memories I have are amazing. When I left the changing room and the club, I said I arrived three and a half years as a person and I left as a coach and a person.

“I have to thank everyone, the chairman, every last player, right to Avril who cleaned the changing room at the training ground.

“But the main thing for me when I left the club, I was really, really satisfied that all of the players had done their best and the relationship that I had with the majority of them, the relationship with the chairman and the club was the best thing.”

It is incredibly rare for a manager to lose his job but still maintain a respect and relationship with the chairman as Karanka has done with Steve Gibson after three and a half years in charge.

Middlesbrough chairman and owner Gibson is known throughout football for his loyalty towards managers and for the sensible way he runs the club. Karanka admits some frustration when he saw other clubs spend big in January but there is no resentment.

Karanka said: “Every single coach, to the last day of the transfer market, wanted more. I wanted more. But, again, after the transfer market we moved on because the relationship with the chairman was really good and we always stayed together and decided to keep fighting.

“We competed in the Premier League. It’s true that we didn’t score enough goals but to score goals you need money and quality. We tried to fight as a team. In January, other teams in a similar situation spent a lot of money and we tried to keep fighting.

“I had another two years on my contract, of course I would have liked to have finished my contract but both of us wanted the best for the club.

(Image: Angel Martinez)

“I had this experience in Spain that if you are defensive then you stand a better chance not to lose. It’s true that if you are losing 4-0 in the 90th minute then for sure you are going to lose. We were losing 1-0 at Tottenham, we had a chance to score in the last minute.

“I don’t have regrets because I learned a lot. We went from being in danger of being relegated to League One to competing with some of the best teams in the world. So I can’t have regrets.

“I hope they can come back because everyone deserves to be in the Premier League. When we got promoted, the first thing they said was that Middlesbrough belong in the Premier League and I hope they can come back because the chairman and the club deserves it.”

Karanka remains great friends with Mourinho, having worked together at Real Madrid and went to see him at Manchester United’s training ground this week.

(Image: Man Utd/Getty)

Mourinho gave Karanka’s son Ibai a United tracksuit top and a pair of Paul Pogba’s boots as the pair remain very close.

But it is the band of brothers among the managers that has most touched Karanka during his time in English football and he has clearly embraced the culture.

Karanka, talking in a hotel on a family weekend trip to London, said: “I have seen him (Mourinho) here in London, then on Monday in Carrington, we are in touch always by phone.

“He is someone I owe a great deal to. Every day I spend with him, I learn from him and we have a relationship away from football with the families.

“I don’t know why but he has a really good relationship with my son Ibai. My son is 15, two years younger than Jose’s son, they spent a lot of time together when we were at Real Madrid, when you create that relationship, it is special.

(Image: Getty)

“The surprising thing that I have learned from living here, when the game finishes there is a tradition to spend some time together with the other managers, to share a glass of wine, a beer or a Coke.

“To start that relationship is special. When I needed something, I called Arsene Wenger for Calum Chambers, to have that direct relationship is really good, he is really respected and as a coach it was new for me and it’s really good.

“For most of the time, my son was with me, he was surprised and asked me: ‘did you know him before?’ I always said no, but it’s always just respect. It didn’t matter if it was Wenger, Conte, Tony Pulis or Mark Hughes. The relationships were amazing and it was something really good.

“I know the league. The first thing I did here was to respect the culture, after the games I had the meetings with the coaches. They would say: ‘do you allow them to eat eggs or have ketchup?’

(Image: Getty Images)

“The players have to be happy. They have to work hard but they can’t paella and Spanish tortilla. Even if there was just two English players in the meeting then I made sure we spoke English because we are in England and you have to respect the culture.

“Some spoke better or worse English and you should have to speak the language from where you are. It is important because if you are English or Spanish and if one person is arriving from abroad, if they respect you then to respect is to be respected.

“The first thing to gain respect is to learn the language, you have to have that respect. When I was a player, when you have coaches who don’t speak the language and need a translator, don’t do anything to learn the language then it’s difficult.

“When I arrived, the first thing I did was to learn English. One language you can never fool is the body language. When they didn’t understand me in English they could look at me and understand me that way.”