Neil Warnock can hardly wait for the end of the season to come.

Middlesbrough looked like genuine contenders to secure a play-off spot just a few weeks ago but since then things have taken a drastic downturn with the club picking up just one point from their last five matches in the Championship.

As a result the club have drifted into mid-table with the manager hinting that he's preparing to make big changes to his squad in the summer transfer window.

Several high-profile players are out of contract while a number of others could be sold on to make room for new arrivals.

Some of those new faces could come in the form of Middlesbrough's loan stars.

The likes of Marcus Bettinelli and Neeskens Kebano have enjoyed decent spells at the Riverside Stadium but one man who has really taken to life at the club is Yannick Bolasie.

The 31-year-old joined on loan from Everton in January as he looked to kickstart his career by reuniting with the manager who saw him find his best form during his time at Crystal Palace.

Things got off to a steady start for Bolasie at Middlesbrough but in recent weeks he's really found his feet both on and off the pitch.

In Bolasie's last seven matches for the club the player has had five goal involvements with two strikes and three assists to his name in that time.

Given how poor the club's results have been in that time it makes his contribution all the more impressive.

As well as being a big player on the pitch, Bolasie has really endeared himself to supporters off the pitch due to his open, transparent and often humorous nature on social media as he regularly engages with fans on social media.

It's minor thing, but given the lack of engagement that Middlesbrough fans have had over the last 12 months it's a gesture that has really got them onside.

 

 

Bolasie is out of contract this summer and it goes without saying that it will be incredibly difficult to sign a player of his caliber on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

After all, the 31-year-old is likely to attract plenty of offers.

However it seems that the winger has enjoyed his time at Middlesbrough under Neil Warnock and so supporters will be hoping that the manager can convince him to join the club on a permanent basis.

Next season is going to be massive for the Teessiders and they'll need big players with big personalities to take on the challenge of leading the club to promotion on the pitch.

As well as that, supporters need a hero at this time more than ever and there's a real feeling that if Bolasie was to stick around then he could end up being that talisman.

There's a real opportunity for Yannick Bolasie to be a hero at the club, but ultimately it all depends on whether he's been convinced that the project at Middlesbrough is big enough and exciting enough to deter him from the other offers on the table.