Stewart Downing moved to Middlesbrough so there was "something to play for"

Stewart Downing has stated that he returned to Middlesbrough so that he would have "something to play for".

The winger left West Ham United to drop down to the Championship, signing a four-year contract on Teesside nine years after leaving his hometown club.

Speaking to reporters today, Downing said: "I see something to play for. I see a good team, a good manager, a promotion push. The offers I had weren't really better than West Ham if I'm honest - are they going to be fighting relegation, are they going to be mid-table with nothing to play for?

"I just thought at 31, obviously if I'm 21 it's a different conversation, but at 31 I wanted something to play for and something to get me going.

"I had two years left at West Ham and there was no talk of an extension really. I got a good offer from Middlesbrough to come back, so the security of the contract is big for me, but the pull was it's my hometown club."

Downing scored six goals and started all but one of West Ham's Premier League games last season.