Smith has a new role at Rockliffe

TOMMY Smith has been handed a key role in Middlesbrough's backroom team after being forced into early retirement earlier this year.

- 

Smith will become Boro's new loans manager - keeping a close and nurturing eye on young players who the club send out on loan.

It comes after he was forced to retire back in February due to injury, with the defender expressing his gratitude to the club for the opportunity.

Smith will have a key role in ensuring that players Boro send out on loan remain content and supported, while he'll also keep a close eye on their development from a club's perspective.