EARLIER this season, Jelle Vossen travelled to Manchester to visit Old Trafford and marvel at one of the most famous football grounds in Europe. By the end of next Monday’s Championship play-off final with Norwich City, he intends to start planning a return trip. This time, however, the Middlesbrough striker wants to be taking his boots with him.

When Vossen agreed to move to Teesside last summer, he did so with the avowed intention of progressing to play on the biggest stages in the English game. In seven days time, he will grace the turf of Wembley, the most iconic ground in the country, but it is his potential itinerary for the next 12 months that is causing him most excitement.

Instead of Elland Road, he wants to be visiting the Emirates. The Amex Stadium is nice, but it’s nothing compared to Anfield. And whereas Stadium MK will be a new addition to the Championship schedule next season, a trip to Stamford Bridge has rather more of an allure.

“I’m somebody who loves stadiums,” said Vossen, who was an influential figure in both legs of the play-off semi-final as Middlesbrough secured a 5-1 aggregate win over Brentford. “There’s a lot of tradition in the English stadiums, and I like to be able to see that.

“I’ve visited Old Trafford since I’ve been here, and hopefully that’s somewhere I’ll get the chance to play next season. I love to see a lot of the stadiums that you heard about as a kid, and of course Wembley is the biggest of the lot. In Belgium, we call it the ‘Holy Ground’, so it will be something special to play there in a really big game.

“I’ve been at Wembley with the national team, but didn’t get off the bench. It will be special to be on the pitch there, and it’s a great opportunity for us. It will be a very nice experience, but only if we win the game.”

As well as enabling him to visit some of the most famous stadiums in the country, a success in next Monday’s play-off final would also allow Vossen to join the massed ranks of Belgian players already making a name for themselves in the top-flight.

From Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet in goal, through Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen at the back and on to the likes of Eden Hazard, Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku in the attacking positions, it is possible to construct a world-class squad from the Belgians currently plying their trade in the Premier League.

In his homeland, it was assumed that Vossen, a 12-time senior international, would join them when he agreed to leave Genk last August, but instead he was persuaded to move to Middlesbrough despite their status as a Championship side.

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Having talked at length to Aitor Karanka, he was sold the vision of an upwardly-mobile club determined to reclaim its Premier League status. Nine months on, and that vision is close to becoming a reality, something that would add yet another Belgian ingredient to the English top-flight mix.

“The Premier League is where anybody would want to be, no matter where you are from,” said Vossen, who already has an agreement for a permanent move to Middlesbrough in place when his current loan deal expires. “There are a lot of Belgian players playing in the Premier League just now, and it is my ambition to join them.

“We are only 90 minutes away from our big goal now, but it is going to be a game where we could win or lose everything. I’m good friends with quite a few of them (Belgian players), but I won’t be speaking to them in the build up. That’s not necessary.

“I know almost all of them, and have played some games with them for the national team. That was a nice experience, but I won’t be asking them for any advice, I just want to join them in the Premier League. You always want to play at the highest level, and there is no higher stage than the Premier League.”

Friday night’s comprehensive second-leg win over Brentford confirmed Boro’s place at Wembley, and Vossen freely admits that he and his team-mates were fired up by some of the derogatory comments that emanated from the Bees camp in the build up to the game.

Brentford defender Harlee Dean accused Middlesbrough of having serious attacking limitations, and the now-deposed Bees boss Mark Warburton also appeared to imply that Karanka’s side were often negative in their approach.

“We knew what they had said about our game and our attitude, but the best reaction was always going to be showing on the pitch what we are capable of,” said Vossen. “I think we did that very well.

“We have beaten them four times this season now, so I think it is well deserved and everyone at this club deserves to go to Wembley. It’s just the perfect place to be this season, and if you see where we have come from, we have taken a very big step forward.

“Now, we are just one game away from the Premier League, but while it was important we enjoyed (Friday’s win), the most important thing is to get back our focus and make sure we are ready for Monday.”

* Middlesbrough’s Under-18s will compete in next season’s Under-19s Champions League after they were crowned national champions on Saturday.

Boro’s title-winning Under-21 side rounded off their season with a 3-0 win over Stoke City that came courtesy of a double from Jordan Jones and a goal from Luke Williams.