Matt Targett’s loan stay at Middlesbrough this season has practically rejuvenated his 30-year career.

Injuries hampered his career at Newcastle United, leaving him with only 12 senior games in all competitions over the last two seasons at St James’ Park.

As a result, Targett’s 46 in all competitions at the Riverside has not only established that he can stay fit for a whole year, but it has also demonstrated to those in the Championship that the 30-year-old can still play an important role in a promotion-chasing team.

The Newcastle loanee missed just one league game after joining near the end of the summer transfer window, on Easter Monday against Swansea City, and played every minute of Boro’s disappointing play-off campaign.

With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the full-back would be a valuable addition on a free transfer for a second-tier club hoping to make the newly reconstructed play-offs next season, or possibly challenge for immediate promotion.

According to an exclusive report from Football League World, Derby County, who finished on the periphery of the top six this season, are hoping to compete with Borough for his signature.

A Middlesbrough fan “wouldn’t be overly bothered” if Matt Targett signed with Derby County.

Targett’s role in the Middlesbrough squad this season cannot be overstated, with the 30-year-old even filling in as a makeshift centre-back while Kim Hellberg was out injured over the Christmas and New Year period.

With a chance to retool and rebuild ahead of Hellberg’s first full season in the Championship, FLW’s Borough fan commentator, Liam Day, would not be surprised if his team looked elsewhere in the transfer market for a left back.The fan pundit stated, “I’d be perfectly happy if Targett returned,

but I wouldn’t be overly concerned if he didn’t.”Given his age and anticipated wage demands, I believe he is an excellent player, but we can search for someone else. We were associated with Max Arfsten in January, and he appears to be a highly talented player. We lack a bit of pace, and he appears to have it.”

Day is open to pursuing Targett as a backup option, believing that his leadership would be beneficial. After a year at Riverside, he understands the need of improving and correcting mistakes from the previous season.He’d be a great addition to the changing rooms and understands the club’s needs, according to the speaker.

“It wouldn’t be the worst signing in the world, but if he went elsewhere, I can’t see Borough being too concerned.”I believe you can improve, and not having that pace cost us this season, so Targett would be good as a backup, but if we went elsewhere as a starting left back, I wouldn’t be too concerned.”

Matt Targett could be seeking for regular gametime next season, and Middlesbrough may not offer him that.

After playing 46 games in a Borough shirt last season, compared to 47 in the previous three and a half years at Newcastle, Targett may be eager to maintain that trend and remain a first-choice option, almost as a way to make up for lost time.

With sides like Derby, who many consider to be outsiders to make a push for promotion next season under John Eustace, sniffing around for his services, he won’t be short of elite Championship clubs interested in signing him.

In the end, it may go down to who has the best offer for him in terms of the role he would be playing, and Middlesbrough may not be able to match what Targett wants.

Kim Hellberg’s demanding style of football will keep Borough busy in the transfer market, looking for players who fit the physical profile that the Swede requires, which the 30-year-old may not meet.

Targett will be remembered as one of the most significant players in one of the Riverside’s most successful and thrilling seasons since their return to the Championship nine years ago, but he may not be around to witness where the club goes from here.