STEVE McCLAREN admits he would have re-signed Patrick Bamford in an instant had he been able to outflank Middlesbrough in the loan market this summer.

Bamford spent the second half of last season on loan at Derby, with his eight goals in 23 games helping the Rams finish third in the Championship table and reach the play-off final.

McClaren looked into re-signing the England Under-21 international prior to the start of the current campaign, only to be told that he had already agreed to join Middlesbrough instead.

Derby’s loss has been Boro’s gain, with Bamford scoring seven goals in 15 games, including five in his last six matches, and as he prepares to head to the Riverside for today’s lunch-time kick-off, McClaren admits he still regrets this summer’s failure to pull off another deal.

“I would have taken Patrick back, without a shadow of a doubt,” said the former Middlesbrough manager. “We liked him. He is a good lad and a good goalscorer.

“He wanted to play centre-forward, although I see he is also playing on the right side at Middlesbrough so I will have a few words with him when I see him.”

McClaren worked with the likes of Mark Viduka, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Joseph-Desire Job during his time on Teesside, and feels Bamford has all the attributes to go on to be a success at the very highest level of the game.

“Remember his goal for us at Sheffield Wednesday (last season) – only he can score goals like that,” he said. “That is what we needed at the time, and was one of the reasons we got into the play-offs and all the way to Wembley.

“Patrick can create something from nothing. That is what he did for us, so we will need full concentration against him.”

McClaren’s first return to the Riverside ended in a 1-0 defeat in April, and the Derby boss feels Middlesbrough have improved markedly as a result of their summer transfer business.

He has been impressed with Aitor Karanka’s impact since replacing Tony Mowbray last autumn, and expects his former employers to be in the thick of the promotion battle come May.

“I was very impressed by what Karanka did there last season, and in the summer Steve Gibson again, like he does, backs his managers and they spent a bit,” he said. “They have got a good squad together and they are realising the potential they showed last season.

“They are hard to beat, play good football and have goalscorers. I think they will be there or thereabouts all the way through the season and they are contenders to go up.”