Former Middlesbrough defender Danny Mills has lauded Reds chairman Steve Gibson for the job he has done since first getting involved with the club in 1986. 

A boyhood Boro fan, Gibson formed a consortium to help save the club from liquidation in 1986 and then bought out the majority of the shares himself seven years later.

He became the chairman of the club in 1994 and has held that role ever since during what has been a relatively successful period for the Teessiders.

Boro have spent much of that period in the Premier League, or battling to get back to it, and won the League Cup in 2004.

Mills was at the club during the League Cup winning campaign and, speaking to Teesside Live, was full of praise for the Boro owner – particularly the way he had adapted as chairman.

He said: "In the early days he maybe threw more money at it than possibly needed when you think of some of the great players coming in.

“I’m thinking of people like Gaizka Mendieta and Juninho in my day but also the likes of Paul Merson, Alen Boksic, Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

"Now he's doing things differently but he's still as humble as ever - letting his managers get on with the way and only speaking out in public when the club as a whole can benefit.

“Steve’s been an incredible custodian of the club, never courting the limelight, just staying in the background, running the club as best he can on a relatively limited budget.

“Even when we won the League Cup the players forced him on to the stage to give a speech. He’s very humble but very astute and hopefully he will remain at Boro for a long time.

“The record books show he’s very loyal to his managers, and with Woody he will know that when you employ a new manager, with very little experience, you can not expect it to be perfect from day one.

“It’s going to be a two, three or four-year building process of bringing everything together and getting the right people in and everything else that goes with it."

Gibson's latest big call was to install former Boro defender Jonathan Woodgate as manager, handing the 40-year-old his first senior job.

Woodgate has not had the easiest of starts to his role and his side currently face a relegation battle as they sit 19th in the table – just two points above the drop zone.

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The Verdict

You have to respect what Gibson has done for Boro and everything he has given to the club.

As well as helping to save them from liquidation, the 62-year-old has put in more than 20 years of service and a lot of his own money.

He appears to still have faith in Woodgate and what the young manager is building at the club.

It will be interesting to see if that stance changes moving forward.