Craig Hignett and Aitor Karanka "weren't compatible with each other" and had a disagreement that couldn't be rectified, Boro’s former assistant manager has revealed.
The Boro legend was appointed as Karanka’s No.2 last season but the short yet successful partnership came to an end in December when Hignett suddenly left the club.
Hignett admits he learnt an awful lot working with the former Real Madrid assistant and hailed the “fantastic” job he’s done in charge of Boro, but admitted their working relationship was beyond repair.
“If I’m honest I had a falling out with the head coach,” said Hignett, speaking in depth about his departure for the first time.
“Me and Aitor had a disagreement and unfortunately it couldn’t be rectified and I left.
“We obviously couldn’t work together and that was disappointing.
“Boro is my club, I spent almost 20 years at the club in one capacity or another.
“It was just a clash of personalities if you like. I’d worked with Aitor and got on well with him at the start but things deteriorated towards the end.
Aitor Karanka and Craig Hignett
“Myself and Aitor weren’t compatible with each other. I couldn't put up with some of the things that were happening there and he probably couldn’t put up with some of the things I wanted or could see happening.
“Unfortunately these things happen in football sometimes and you learn to get on with it.
“While it was disappointing, Steve Gibson is still a fantastic friend and he’ll speak to me every week.”
Despite his departure and the break-down in relationship with Karanka, Hignett doesn't resent the head coach, instead praising him for guiding Boro to the brink of the Premier League.
“(Karanka) has been fantastic, I’ve learned an awful lot from him,” he said.
“He’s a clone of Mourinho so for me to be involved for the best part of 12 months, see how it all works and put the coaching sessions on, I’ll take that away with me.
“The lads will tell you they loved every session he put on. They were different, they were intense, they were organised and they were structured.
“The job he’s done, coupled with the chairman who has chucked a few quid at it this year, is fantastic.”
Aitor Karanka and Craig Hignett in Marbella
Gibson has backed Karanka in the transfer market since his appointment and Hignett believes the chairman would be more than willing to splash more cash should Boro win promotion.
“I think, with Steve Gibson, they have the best chairman in football and I’m sure he will again put his hand in his pocket and make sure Middlesbrough have a good chance of survival should they get up,” Hignett told UAE-based sports website Sport 360.
“I think they’re in a better position this time around but they’ll obviously need four or five quality players to come in.”
Hignett has been out of work since leaving Boro. He was briefly linked with the manager’s job at Hartlepool United, where he was previously assistant to Colin Cooper, and admits he hopes to be back in the dugout this summer.
“I’m hoping to manage and to coach, that’s my aim,” he said.
“I left Middlesbrough back in December and had a couple of interviews which I’m waiting to hear about and I’ll probably end up pre-season time having something happening.”
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