91Èȱ¬

Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Clayton believes the atmosphere within the squad bodes well for a promotion push in the Championship this season.

Clayton joined from Huddersfield with Jacob Butterfield moving the other way after meeting with boss Aitor Karanka.

"There's a nice little feeling around the place," Clayton told 91Èȱ¬ Tees.

"It's not overconfident but we know we've got a good group of lads and we could really do something if we keep that really competitive edge."

He added: "Everyone can see the manager is going to manage in the Premier League one day and hopefully I can join the party that he goes up with."

The 25-year-old is line to make his debut against Leeds on Saturday for a Boro side who won 2-0 in the season opener against Birmingham last weekend.

Boro were made to wait to confirm the signing while Butterfield agreed terms with the Terriers, despite the fact Clayton's deal was all but complete.

And the delay prompted rumours on social media that a move to Brighton for Clayton had materialised, much to the frustration of the former Manchester City trainee.

"I have seen a few bits in the press that I'd missed medicals and refused to come to Middlesbrough but I can up here last Monday at 10.30 at night and we agreed the principle of the deal," he said.

"Then I was upon Tuesday waiting for four hours for a medical and had to go home because Huddersfield hadn't sorted the Butterfield side of things.

"It's been a complicated deal, I was more or less agreed and it took until Friday night for Butterfield to be sorted and as I wouldn't make the game there was no rush."

Meanwhile Karanka is confident of signing defender Damia Abella, 32, in time to represent Boro against Leeds, although the deal is not yet complete.