If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go, say over two years, we'd have had a special team, most wouldn't stay. One or two glory seasons and they were off. To them, the north-east was too far out. They wanted to be with the big hitters.

Towards the end of his playing career he moved into management as player-manager with Middlesbrough. Robson began his management career with Middlesbrough in 1994 although he did not retire from playing until 1997. He managed Middlesbrough for seven years guiding them to two promotions to the FA Premier League and to the first three cup finals of the club's history later returning to West Bromwich Albion for a two-year spell as manager after a brief and unsuccessful spell in charge of Bradford City.