Jonathan Woodgate has been appointed Middlesbrough's head coach on a three-year contract.

The 39-year-old former Boro and England defender has been handed the reins following the departure of Tony Pulis at the end of the season.

A club statement said: "Middlesbrough Football Club are delighted to confirm that Jonathan Woodgate will head up a new-look senior coaching team.

"Jonathan has been appointed as the club's new head coach and has agreed a three-year contract.

"Our former captain will be joined by his ex-Leeds and Tottenham team-mate, and current Republic of Ireland assistant manager Robbie Keane, Leo Percovich, who was previously on the coaching staff at the club from 2013-2017, and one-time Boro man Danny Coyne, as goalkeeping coach."

Woodgate, who made a total of 112 appearances for his home-town club in two spells, is a former team-mate, and close friend of Rovers target Stewart Downing.

The 34-year-old is yet to be offered a new deal by his boyhood club and is free to speak with other clubs.

The former England winger has held talks with Tony Mowbray, though Rovers are yet to offer him a contract, despite the manager been keen on bringing him to Ewood Park.

Downing also has interest from Sunderland, which would enable him to stay in his native north east, though would require him to drop in to League One.

But reports in the north east suggest Downing could yet be offered a contract lifeline by Boro now Woodgate has taken over the top job.

That could even include the possibility of a player-coach role as part of a new backroom team.

Downing has played over 400 games for Boro, and like Woodgate had two separate spells at the Riverside.

The new manager was at the club between August 2006 and January 2008 and then again from June 2016 until ending his playing career in 2016.

Since then, he has had a spell as a scout working for Liverpool in Spain before returning to Boro in March 2017 to join the coaching staff under interim manager Steve Agnew, later worker with the club's under-18s before being appointed first-team coach by Pulis.

The Championship club, who just missed out on the play-offs last season, are set to add further to their backroom staff in the coming weeks.