Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said he never contemplated leaving English premier league club Middlesbrough despite the wrangling over his new contract.

After a lengthy delay, Schwarzer last month signed a three-year extension to his deal at Boro to keep him at the club until he was 35, for a total of 11 seasons at Teesside.

The delay ignited speculation the Australian had been approached by rival clubs, including Manchester United, and he even fuelled the rumours by refusing to rule out a move.

But he said there was never any approach for another club.

"Any suggestion there was contact with another club was speculation and all the reports that were made were wrong," he told British newspaper the Daily Express before Boro's match UEFA Cup against Austrian club Grazer AK at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium in Graz.

"I have been at Boro for eight years and I was never looking to leave.

"Boro are a club that are going forward and have a lot of potential. Last year was the beginning and this year we have done well so far.

"I've already fulfilled two of my ambitions at Boro. One, to win a major trophy and the other to play in a European competition and I've done both of those in the last year.

"The next one I want to tick off my list is to consistently qualify for European football. If Champions League football comes along, that is great, but to play in the UEFA Cup every year is so important for this club. I will be hugely disappointed if we don't get back in next season."

But on his own website last month, Schwarzer hinted at a move.

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