<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="629" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><div class="mxb"></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 416px" valign="top"><font size="2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="203" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td><div> <div class="cap">Xavier has made 20 appearances for Boro this season</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Middlesbrough have confirmed defender Abel Xavier will leave this summer after failing to agree a new contract. The 34-year-old former Portugal defender rejoined Boro in 2006 following a drugs ban having originally signed for the club in August 2005. </p> Boss Gareth Southgate told the club's website: "We have been unable to give Abel the terms he was looking for." </p> Xavier insisted the split was amicable, telling the club's website: "Gareth has my respect as a person and as a coach." </p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="208" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 5px"></td><td class="sib606"><div class="sihf">606: DEBATE </div><div class="ibqlinks">Should Boro have tried harder to keep Xavier? </div></td></tr></tbody></table></p> Xavier said he believed Middlesbrough would progress under Southgate because of the respect the players had for him. </p> "That is a great quality because most of the time this does not happen with players that become managers, as they lose respect towards the players," he said. </p> "When this kind of thing is missing the players do not show respect to the manager but this is not the case with Gareth." </p> Southgate said "I am disappointed Abel has decided not to stay with us but I'd like to thank him for his contribution to the club. </p> "He always did well when called upon and we wish him all the best." </p></font></td></tr></tbody></table>
