By Chris Bevan BBC Sport in Eindhoven

I don't agree that you should always try to put a positive slant on defeats Gareth Southgate

Middlesbrough captain Gareth Southgate has praised England's new coach Steve McClaren for making the Riverside club "stable" during his time as manager.

McClaren bowed out after the Uefa Cup final defeat to Sevilla, but Southgate feels the work his manager has done at the club will benefit his successor.

"Bryan Robson did a very good job, but I think Steve McClaren has taken it to the next level," he told BBC Sport.

"Without McClaren in charge we wouldn't have had the stability we have now."

Southgate is still hurting from his side's capitulation in Eindhoven but feels his former manager deserves credit for taking the club to its first European final, despite the disappointing end result.

"I don't agree that you should always try to put a positive slant on defeats," he said.

"But here, once the dust settles maybe we will look back and say we achieved over and above what could have been expected of us.

"Chairman Steve Gibson came into the dressing room tonight and thanked the manager for his contribution over the past few years, and for what he has done this season.

"He told the players that they have to take the bad with the good - and we've had some great moments over the past few weeks - and that he and the town will be proud of us for what we have done in getting here.

"In time they probably will, but at the moment it does feel that we have let people down and it takes a little bit of time to get over that."