Ex-Sunderland captain to move into first-team coaching role at Middlesbrough following Chris Wilder sacking

Boro have announced that Wilder’s contract has been terminated with immediate effect following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Coventry, which has left the club 22nd in the Championship.

A club statement revealed that Leo Percovich will take over first-team affairs on an interim basis, and will be assisted by Craig Liddle, Mark Tinkler and Cattermole.

Cattermole was appointed Boro’s under-18s coach in January after retiring as a player in 2020.

Boro have won just two of their 11 Championship games this season, including a 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Riverside last month.

When asked about Wilder’s sacking, Black Cats boss and former Boro captain Tony Mowbray said: “It’s an emotional rollercoaster professional football management these days and we all understand that you have to win games.

“I would have looked at Chris Wilder, the team and players that they had, everybody would have had Middlesbrough up in the top six competing.

“What I would say is that they still very much could do that because if you look at third bottom to sixth top is only five or six points.

“The league is really, really congested and a win can catapulte you up into the top six, and a defeat can drop you down to the bottom half of the table.”

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Boro will now prepare for Wednesday’s home game against Birmingham City.

The Teessiders will then face a trip to Millwall this weekend.