Boro's Cattermole a natural leader

14 April 2012

Lee Cattermole will never forget the day he captained Middlesbrough and he has made it his ambition to hold the job permanently one day.

The 18-year-old midfielder has captained Boro youth teams and was reserve skipper at the age of 17, before he had even made his first team debut.

Last season when Middlesbrough travelled to Fulham, Steve McClaren selected 15 young players born within 30 miles of the Riverside and Cattermole was handed the captain's armband.

The fearless midfielder with an eye for a pass has already clocked up 40 appearances in a year and has quickly established himself as a regular under Gareth Southgate, himself a former captain of the club, who has spotted his leadership credentials.

Cattermole said: "I will remember captaining Boro at Fulham for the rest of my life. It was a massive honour, the proudest day ever. It was always a dream for me to captain Middlesbrough, I couldn't believe it.

"I have been put on a leadership course with Chris Riggott and George Boateng. You get a list of loads of questions which you take home, answer and they are sent off to be marked. I am really interested in that side of the game and the club are brilliant at looking into things like that.

"I've learned a lot already about how some people need a kick up the backside and some need an arm round the shoulder. I suppose I was put on it because I have been a captain at most levels of this club and for England at under-19 and below and my long-term aim is to be captain here.

"They must see me as some kind of leader, I suppose because I'm loud on the pitch and always have been, I'm chatty in a game and they are not going to pick someone who is not like that. And I don't like losing. It spoils my weekend."

Cattermole, who is from Stockton, is another lifelong fan who has been groomed under Academy boss Dave Parnaby. He has the ability to follow Stewart Downing into the England squad and has already recognised the importance of sacrifices if he is to do so.

He said: "I listen to the players and they all say it's worth it, you can't have it all, you can't have the money, cars and houses and have nights out and the girls and all that as well. You have to decide what you want and I want football.

"My worst night of the week is Friday, I'm home alone and my friends are out on the town but I just try to keep my head down and keep out of the town because it's easy to get caught up in it all. It's very hard to balance it.

"Once you start getting on in your career it's off the field exercises, diets, rest, it's a massive part. It's not like George Best, you can't get away with going out. The foreigners showed us, you have to do things properly or you can't do it on Saturday. The game and living are a lot harder than I thought and you have to be very careful on and off the pitch."

As Cattermole discovered last season when he was filmed in tears during the defeat to Aston Villa, the cameras are everywhere.

"I had no idea they had caught it until I watched Match of the Day that night. Only Gareth and I really knew about it - even the manager had no idea until he saw the highlights."

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