Boro switch vexed McDonald

Striker Scott McDonald has insisted there was no fall-out with Celtic boss Tony Mowbray to hasten his move to Coca-Cola Championship Middlesbrough.

And the 26-year-old Australia international is adamant Mowbray wanted him to stay at Parkhead.

But McDonald, who this week joined the Teessiders in a deal understood to be worth around 3.2m, eventually took the difficult decision to head south of the border in an effort to keep his World Cup dreams alive.

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He said: "I wasn't too happy with not playing as regularly as I would have liked. There was no fall-out, as was suggested, between me and the manager.

"There was nothing like that going on. Relationships were very good. They wanted me to stay at the football club, but I felt I needed to get more game time.

"I had worked under this manager (Gordon Strachan) beforehand and I believe I played my best football under him, so it was another chance to team up with him and Garry Pendrey and try to progress even more as a player and keep getting better and better.

"With the World Cup at stake at the end of the season, that was a massive factor also."

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McDonald admitted he agonised over the move, adding: "It was massive. I had to sit and really have a long, hard think about it, especially with the family.

"Celtic was a club I supported growing up, I was brainwashed into it by my Glaswegian parents, so it was quite difficult.

"It was a massive honour to play for the club for two and a half years and is something I will always treasure and always have with me.

"I leave, I would like to think, with a lot of success under my belt. Hopefully, I can do the same for Middlesbrough and help us get promoted."