While Gareth Southgate has started working towards his Pro Licence, three coaches at the Riverside already have the qualification with Martin Scott, Dave Parnaby and Steve Agnew all having passed the course at the University of Warwick.

Middlesbrough first team coach Agnew, a determined midfielder who made his name with just short of 200 appearances for Barnsley, believes that with six members of the staff having the highest qualification the future is bright for the Teeside club.

Speaking exclusively to TheFA.com, Agnew said: "I think it is important that each member of the staff at Middlesbrough is going to have the highest qualification eventually, and that can only help with the exchange of ideas.

"I think we all have different ideas and different views, we have discussions about it and I think we come out of it with the answers to help the club move forward and progress."

"Now I have completed the course the learning is definitely still ongoing.

"Things that we have done as part of this course, like overseas visits, going to different clubs, away from the Pro Licence we'll continue to do.

"I'm very keen to go out and study in different countries around the world, and watch some of the most experienced coaches in action. The more information you can gather the better."

Looking ahead to next season, Agnew believes that the club is moving in the right direction and progress will be made.

"We had a reasonably successful season last year, although it did seem to take a long time to build up the points tally to give us that security of staying in the Premier League.

"We as a staff are hoping to move things on now and to take the club forward. Wherever that takes us in the league, the higher up the better.

"We're all more than capable of supporting Gareth (Southgate) achieving that next season."

Looking back on his playing days, Agnew believes that a great deal has changed in coaching terms and he is eager to remain at the forefront of ideas.

"I think it has changed, and you can always assess things in the way you dealt with things when you were a player," Agnew admitted.

"If I was given the information that I am, hopefully, passing on to my players now, I'm sure it would have benefitted me as a player.

"I think there's a secret to coaching, anything that you actually transmit to the players and explain to the players, and if they carry out their duty that's when you get a real buzz. It doesn't always work, but if they take it on board and try to make it work then you have to be happy.

"I think that is where it has moved forward, I think there are more ideas and better understanding of the game going into the players minds."