Stewart Downing: ‘Smiler’ loving life after return to the Premier League with boyhood club Middlesbrough

HIS team-mates have nicknamed him ‘Smiler’ – and not even a run of defeats can wipe the grin off Stewart Downing’s face.

While today’s hosts, his former club West Ham, are struggling to settle into their new home, Middlesbrough’s local hero is loving life back at his old one.And the spring in Downing’s step has not gone unnoticed around the Boro training ground.

The ex-England international, 32, laughed: “The lads call me Smiler.

“I told my missus and she was like, ‘Are you kidding?’. She’d probably tell you I’m miserable!

“But I just come in every morning and I’m happy.

“I’m back in the Premier League and back playing for my hometown club – what more could you want?”

Downing is certainly smiling more now than he was at the end of his first spell here in 2009.

Back then, he could only watch as his beloved Boro were relegated at West Ham, having broken his foot the previous week at the Riverside against Aston Villa, the club he would join that summer.

And Downing admitted: “That was hard. You don’t want to leave any club in that circumstance.”It is why he has always felt he had unfinished business on Teesside – and knew he would be back one day.

Few probably expected that day would come last summer, when he dropped down a division in a shock £5million switch from Slaven Bilic’s Hammers.

But “the pull” of moving his family home and helping his boyhood side get back in the big time proved too strong.

And he feels his decision was vindicated on that May day four months ago, when Boro won promotion by drawing at home to rivals Brighton in the final game of the season, sparking celebrations he will never forget.Downing, who started all but one of West Ham’s league games in 2014-15, said: “I had a conversation with the chairman Steve Gibson last summer and knew the opportunity to come back was there.

“The pull of coming back to my hometown club was the biggest thing, as well as the chance to play in a team that was going to be fighting for something.

“At my age, with a young family, I thought it would be nice to come home and bring them up here.

“I loved playing at West Ham and if it was any other club I would have stayed.

“Slaven at the time was disappointed and, just like every other fan, he was asking why I was dropping down a division.

“If we didn’t get promoted, I’m sure the questions would have come again.

“But I was always confident we would and it’s turned out to be a good story.

“I will never forget the celebrations after the Brighton game. They kept going for two or three days.

”The chairman hosted a BBQ and all the families were invited.

“It was an off-the-cuff party but those ones are the best.

“Days like that are what I came back for. Those days you will always remember.”Central to the celebrations will no doubt have been Downing’s dad, also named Stewart.

The lifelong Boro fan has always played a hands-on role in his son’s career – and acted as his agent in his Riverside return.

There is also a tale of how Downing Snr once stormed into Steve McClaren’s office to ask why his lad wasn’t playing, with rumours he even got hold of the then Middlesbrough manager.

And Downing said: “I don’t know the ins and outs of it – but I don’t think it was very pleasant!

“He was just fighting for his son, trying to do the best for me.

“Although I’ve warned him he can’t go back in there anymore!”He would have no reason to at the moment, as Downing, who has not always seen eye-to-eye with Aitor Karanka and was actually dropped for that crucial Brighton clash, has played every minute in all competitions this campaign.

Boss Karanka admits he is starting to see the best of Downing now he is back in his familiar surroundings of the top flight.

But the Spaniard is not seeing the best of Boro, who have been beaten in their last three matches, after going undefeated in their first three.

Still, they are two points better off than West Ham.

They have lost four on the spin, including two at the London Stadium, where they have moved to from Upton Park and where Middlesbrough visit this afternoon.

And Downing said: “The stadium has probably been a factor.

“Speaking to some of their players, people like Mark Noble, he has played at Upton Park for the last 12 years, so when they move, it is probably strange for them and difficult.“I loved playing at Upton Park when I was there. If you asked visiting players, they didn’t find it comfortable playing there, with the East End boys getting right on your back.

“So they have got to get the fear back, where teams fear going there.

“Maybe they’ve lost that a little bit. I think you lose that special atmosphere you get at the old grounds.”

Downing, though, believes Bilic will soon get West Ham back to winning ways and insists there is no way they will be battling relegation.

But he cheekily added: “Hopefully they will struggle for one more week.

“I think it’s a good time for us to play them.

“It is a big game for us – we need to get back on track with a point or three.”

Do that, and Downing will have even more reason to smile.