Steve Agnew has insisted that he is hungrier than ever to succeed as Middlesbrough boss despite being thrown in at the deep end.

The 51-year-old was brought in to replace Aitor Karanka in March, tasked with turning around the Smoggies' slide down the table and keeping them in the top flight.

Following a slow start to his caretaker spell, Agnew has helped his side to victory over Sunderland and a battling 2-2 draw with Manchester City, and he is now "determined" to pull off what would be the greatest of escapes at the bottom end of the division.

Asked if his brief taste of management has made him hungry for more, he told reporters: "Yes, I think it has, yes.

"Every day that you're in it, you obviously become more and more experienced with it and as we all know, a day in football is a long, long time. It's something that I've enjoyed the challenge of and I am determined to see it through."

Boro are six points from safety with three games left to play, starting with a trip to face league leaders Chelsea on Monday night.