Former Middlesbrough striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says current boss Tony Mowbray is the right man to lead the club back to the Premier League.Boro were relegated from the top flight in May 2009 and have since finished 11th and 12th in the Championship.
"It's sad because a club of Middlesbrough's stature should be in the Premier League," Hasselbaink told BBC Tees.
"But I definitely feel they are on the way up with Tony Mowbray."
Mowbray won promotion to the top flight with West Bromwich Albion in 2008 and Hasselbaink believes that will stand the club in good stead.
"He's got the experience and he's done it before, so Boro is in good hands," the ex- Netherlands international added.
"You need that little bit of luck, little bit of momentum, and if you get that, you will have a good chance."
Hasselbaink spent two seasons on Teesside between 2004 and 2006, scoring 34 goals under then manager Steve McClaren, and was part of the side that reached the UEFA Cup final in 2006 before losing 4-0 to Sevilla.
Since then a number of the club's locally-born players such as Stewart Downing, Lee Cattermole, David Wheater and James Morrison have left, and Hasselbaink believes the club have paid the price for selling their home-grown stars.
"I think Boro always produce good players, but they have to because they don't have the kind of money the big clubs have," he said.
"They have to keep the players they produced because that's the only way them can survive.
"So yes, it was a little bit sad to see James Morrison, Lee Cattermole etc go."
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport