MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Jonathan Woodgate has been sacked and replaced by the vastly-experienced Neil Warnock as the club battles relegation from the Sky Bet Championship.

The Teessiders parted company with the former England international this morning, three days after a damaging 3-0 home defeat by Swansea.

A club statement said: "MFC can confirm that head coach Jonathan Woodgate has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.

"Jonathan was relieved of his role on Tuesday morning and will be replaced by the experienced Neil Warnock.

"Warnock will assume responsibility immediately.

"The club would like to place on record its thanks to Jonathan for all his work in the role of head coach."

Former Boro defender Woodgate, who was already on the coaching staff at the club's Rockliffe Park training headquarters, was handed the reins by chairman Steve Gibson in June last year after impressing during the interview process.

Woodgate took charge of 41 games, but won only nine of them and, with eight Championship fixtures remaining, his side sit in 21st place in the table, clear of the bottom three only on goal difference.

The widely-travelled Warnock, whose lengthy managerial career has included spells at Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, QPR and Leeds, has been out of the game since he left Cardiff in November.

It was widely expected that he would retire after leaving the Bluebirds, but it seems the lure of this of new role up in the North-East was too much for him to turn down.