New Middlesbrough assistant head coach Craig Hignett has said that he couldn't turn down the offer from his former club.
Hignett was announced as Aitor Karanka's assistant on Monday night after he had handed in his notice at previous club Hartlepool United, where he was second in command to Colin Cooper.
"It came out of the blue, but the step up from League Two to the Championship was too good for me to turn down," Hignett told BBC Look North.
"I've made friends for life at Hartlepool and it was hard to leave but Boro is my club.
"I left on fantastic terms and they understand the opportunity I've been given."
Hignett spent six years as a player with Boro between 1992 and 1998, scoring 48 times in 194 appearances for the club.
