Howson left Boro when his contract expired at the end of last season, and is set to take up a player-coach role with Leeds United Under-21s.
He made more than 340 appearances for the Teessiders, having joined from Norwich City in the summer of 2017, and became a club legend during his time at the Riverside.
His rapport with the Boro supporters always meant a lot to him, with the affection remaining as strong as ever even though he will no longer be pulling on the club’s shirt.
“It means a lot and gets me a bit emotional sometimes,” said Howson. “I hope they [the Middlesbrough fans] know I love them just as much.
“I do find really nice things like this hard to take. From my point of view, I just came here day in and day out to do the right things. Ultimately, I do that for myself, for my own life, but also you know you’re doing that for the lads around you and for the football club.
“When you get these responses – I saw the banner that fans held up at Rangers – it’s just very hard to take. It’s something that me and my family are hugely proud of because it doesn’t happen to all players. And then, to do it after I’ve left the football club, it means so much.
“I see things like the banner, the reaction in general from supporters and, though I’m not on social media, I do get told from other people what’s said. That kind of thing means more to me than anything that can ever happen on a football pitch.
“Anything can happen on a football pitch – a moment of genius or whatever, whereas things like that I see as so much more than just football. I see that as a sign of respect – and that works both ways – it means you’ve had an effect on someone’s life, and it makes you realise how much a positive effect they’ve had on me and my life.”
While Howson might be moving on, he will take his memories with him, a lot of which revolve around his relationship with the supporters and the two-way bond that was created during his time as a Boro player.
“The Boro fans will never be forgotten by me going forward,” he said. “The biggest thing is, it’s not just me, it’s my family as well. My two boys and daughter love coming to the Riverside.
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“The amount of times we’d then get back home and we’d kick the ball around in the room and they’d be singing chants from the game.
“What’s a really proud moment is when they’d sing my song – the song that Middlesbrough fans sung about me. There are not many jobs in the world that can give you those moments. I’m proud of that. That’s what all the hard work, dedication and sacrifices over the years is for. It makes it all worth it.”
Howson looks back on his eight years as a Middlesbrough player with immense pride, not so much because of what he achieved, because he readily admits he will always be disappointed he was unable to help the club win promotion, but because of the memories he created during his time as a Teessider.
“I look back on my eight years and I’ve loved my time here,” said Howson. “They haven’t always been good times, but that’s football and that’s life.
“I’m immensely proud. I think, in modern-day football, to spend eight years somewhere is probably a bit unusual, especially when I’ve certainly had a few different managers in that time.
“The biggest thing I take from it – and I think I’ve realised this more as I’ve grown older – is that it’s really been about creating memories and moments. I’ve created quite a lot here, for different reasons. I’ll look back at my time, and all these different moments and memories, with immense pride.
“Then, the other biggest thing that I take away – and again, you realise this more as you get older and you realise there’s more to life than football – is that sometimes it’s not what you do on the football pitch, it’s the people you do it with.
“Whether it’s here in this building at the training ground, or outside this building with the fans or the people down at the ground or everyone associated with the club, it’s the people that make those memories and moments special.
“It’s the people you do it with that really make a mark on you, and that’s probably the biggest thing I’ll take away from my eight years here. I’ve met some people that will be friends for life, and that’s bigger than football.”
