FORMER Saints boss Gordon Strachan has left Middlesbrough by mutual consent, the club has confirmed.

The Scot has torn up his contract with the Championship side this evening, following a string of poor results.

Strachan, who led Saints to the 2003 FA Cup final, was appointed manager at the Riverside in October last year.

But he has not produced the upturn in fortunes that has been hoped for.

Despite spending significant money during the summer and being heavily tipped for promotion back to the Premier League, Middlesbrough have started the season in poor fashion.

After 11 games, they are 20th in the Championship table.

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson said: "Gordon is a man of great integrity. He has torn up his contract and walked away without compensation because he felt it was in the best interests of this football club.

"There are very few managers who have ever done that but that is the mark of the man.

"He feels he has given it everything he has got here but it hasn't worked out and he has taken full responsibility for that.

"He knew that first team results weren't anything like as good as we had hoped they would be and he agreed that the change had to be made."