Get the latest Boro stories straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter Enter your email Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Jonathan Woodgate has revealed he was talked out of retiring by Aitor Karanka.

The Boro defender said he was close to calling time on his career earlier this season when he suffered a calf injury

“I’d done four weeks of pre-season, every session, more or less, apart from the afternoon ones,” he told The Times.

“I was buzzing, couldn’t wait.

“And then I got an injury and my head just fell off. I was gutted, so disappointed.

"When you’re injured, you’re all over the place, especially when you’re coming towards the end, because you know you don’t have long left.

"You want to try and make the most of it.”

Woodgate re-joined Boro in the summer of 2012 and has now entered the final six months of a three-year deal.

He made 24 league starts in his first season and 25 in 2013/14, but has yet to play in the Championship for the first team this season.

“I was going to retire,” said the 35-year-old former Leeds, Newcastle and Real Madrid defender.

“I was close to it. I went to see the manager and told him I was thinking seriously about retirement but he said, ‘no, don’t, you should enjoy what’s left of your playing time and we want you around. We want your experience’.

“I spoke to the chairman after that and he said, ‘listen, we need you. The manager needs you.’

“Not many people knew that. I’m pleased they persuaded me.

"I’m not looking forward to stopping and I don’t want to - but it has to come to an end some time.

"My body isn’t great and never has been and there were times at Spurs when I nearly retired.

“I think about retirement and it’s ridiculous how quickly your career goes, but I’m enjoying training, trying to get in the team, encouraging the players, trying to help the manager.

"And I want to stay in football. It’s the only thing I know.”

Woodgate, who is taking his coaching badges, has been included on the subs’ bench for Boro’s last three games and is desperate to play for the first team again, especially as his next appearance could he his “last”.

“Make no mistake, if I play again for this club, it’ll be the biggest game of my career, 100%,” he said.

“I’d want to prove myself and I’d want to stay in the team.”

Woodgate, who last played for Boro in August at Oldham in a Capital One Cup tie, has been mightily impressed by Karanka since the Spaniard, another former Real Madrid defender, took charge in November 2013.

He predicts that if Karanka takes Boro into the Premier League, the club could enjoy another period of sustained success.

“It’s a different club now, but we’re getting back to how it was when I was here last time,” said Woodgate, whose first stint with his hometown club ran from August 2006 to January 2008, before he left to join Tottenham.

“If we get up with this manager, we’ll be heading for the best seasons we’ve ever had.

"It’ll be on a par, anyway, because this manager is in a similar mould to Steve McClaren.

“We’ve got a good chance. We have to try and seize the opportunity.

"It’s a big moment for us. It’s very, very important for the town to have a Premier League team.

“It’s not been great since we’ve been out of it, the recession, unemployment, and it would bring money, substance.

"People need a smile on their faces.”