Hellberg reveals big ambitions as boss gets down to work

PREMIER LEAGUE THE AIM - BUT IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN THIS YEAR, WARNS COACH

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Kim Hellberg shares a joke with his assistant coach Adi Viveash

KIM Hellberg isn’t shying away from his ambitions to take Middlesbrough back to the Premier League - but stopped short of setting an expectation to achieve that this season.

Hellberg appeared relaxed but excited and extremely ambitious as he sat down with journalists for the first time on Thursday afternoon after his appointment as Boro head coach earlier in the week.

He inherits a side who are joint-second in the Championship with over a third of the Championship already completed.

However, Boro have just three wins from their last 11 games and, with the exception of runaway leaders Coventry City, the division is still very tight this season. Asked his ambitions at Boro, he said: “I think it’s a competitive league. Now of course Coventry are 10 points ahead of every other team. Then it’s, I think 12 or 14 teams in there in terms of six points.

“And, of course, we're in this position, you want to get as high up in the table as possible. I think for me, when I come here, it's to get to the Premier League, that’s a clear aim - if it’s this year or next year.