Super Eagles skipper John Obi Mikel scored his first league goal in English football for almost six years as Middlesbrough beat Rotherham United 2-1.
First-half goals from Britt Assombalonga and Mikel put the visitors in a commanding position before Rotherham pulled one back through Michael Smith late on.
Assombalonga won and scored a 28th-minute penalty after being pulled down in the box by Clark Robertson.
Middlesbrough did not to wait too much longer to double their lead, though, with Mikel netting in the 37th minute.
The ball fell to the Boro skipper from a corner and he viciously lashed it into the roof of the net through a crowd of bodies.
The former Chelsea midfielder joined Middlesbrough until the end of the season in the January window.
He won two Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League during his 11 years at Chelsea.
Mikel captained Nigeria at last summer’s FIFA World Cup.
A fifth win in six English Championship matches was not enough to lift Tony Pulis’ men into the play-off places.
It wasn’t a palatable moment for Rotherham United duo Semi Ajayi and Michael Ihiekwe whose side drowned to the League One.
Ajayi is expected to seal a summer move to possibly an English Premier League side following his nine-goal haul in the recently concluded season.
