Why Britt Assombalonga left Middlesbrough - it involves Neil Warnock | OneFootball

Britt Assombalonga has lifted the lid on his Middlesbrough exit, which came in 2021, and what he thought of then Boro boss Neil Warnock

Britt Assombalonga has opened up on his Middlesbrough exit, which came in 2021.

The striker scored 47 goals in 161 appearances for Boro, having joined from Nottingham Forest in 2017, but was allowed to leave the Riverside Stadium early in April 2021.

Assombalonga's contract was set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 Championship season, but then boss Neil Warnock let him depart prematurely, and he went on to join Turkish club Demirspor the following summer.

The former Forest man showed his goalscoring prowess in the second tier for Middlesbrough, but was unable to help the North East outfit return to the Premier League.

Britt Assombalonga makes positive Neil Warnock admission as he opens up on Middlesbrough exit

Warnock made Assombalonga his captain at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, but he later dropped the ex-Watford forward, and gave Jonny Howson the armband instead.

Assombalonga went on to spend two seasons with Turkish club Demirspor, before returning to the Hornets and subsequently playing in Turkiye once more for both Antalyaspor and Amed Sportif.

The striker is currently playing for Barnet in League Two, but he has struggled for both game time and goals.

Meanwhile, discussing his Middlesbrough exit via Teesside Live, Assombalonga said: "It's because I didn't want to sign anything. I had discussions with the manager about a new contract and I wanted to take on a new challenge.

"To be fair, he was honest, and I loved Neil Warnock. I thought he was great. I thought he was top, he was honest. He put me captain at the start of the season and, coming to the back end, it was like ‘Listen, obviously I'm looking for who's going to be here, and I want to play people who are’.

"So I said ‘That's totally fine, because obviously, if I'm not going to be here, then you know’. So there wasn't bad blood or anything. It was like a proper gentleman's discussion, and he told me how it was, and I really appreciate it to this day.

"That's what you want, in football especially, someone's just straight up with you."

The Barnet striker, now 33 years old, also revealed that he currently has no plans to retire, but he is considering a coaching career once he hangs his playing boots up.

Assombalonga has already earned his UEFA B badge, and he wants to complete the A licence, while also working at the academy he has set up with his brother, Chris, in Peterborough.

The forward earned his move to Forest in the summer of 2014 by scoring 33 goals in 58 appearances across all competitions for Peterborough in the 2013/14 season.

His efforts helped Posh land a League One play-off spot.

Middlesbrough may regret the fact Britt Assombalonga left the Riverside Stadium for free

Assombalonga's last season in Boro colours was far from a success, as he scored just five goals in 31 Championship appearances before Warnock allowed him to leave the Riverside Stadium in April 2021.

However, his return of 15 goals in 46 second-tier outings in the 2017/18 campaign helped Middlesbrough land a play-off spot, and he went on to score 14 goals the following season.

Assombalonga was quick to create a strong reputation for himself among the Boro faithful by scoring a brace in a 2-0 victory over Burton Albion in August 2017.

However, as reported by ITV, the North East outfit paid £15million for the striker's services, so they may regret the fact that they eventually let him leave on a free transfer.