Steve Bruce vows to carry on at Aston Villa regardless of whether they win promotion through the play-offs

Villa are at Middlesbrough tonight for a semi-final first-leg and boss Bruce admits his team has a “wonderful opportunity” to reclaim the club’s Premier League status, two years on from relegation.

The pressure is on for Villa, who would see Financial Fair Play constraints bite even tighter should they remain in the Championship next term.

Bruce has also dealt with personal tragedy in recent months, with his mother Sheenagh passing away last week just 88 days after his father, Joe.

Yet whatever the ultimate outcome of the campaign, he has given no thought to walking away.

“I manage a great club and if it doesn’t go well I will carry on until somebody tells me different,” said Bruce.

“My aim is to carry on and I hope they will give me the opportunity but you’ll have to ask other people.

“I do think we’re improving, the club is in better shape, but if it goes wrong for us that’s for others to call.

“But my intention would be to carry on and take the club forward. I think we’ve improved. Whether we’ve improved enough we will know in the next two weeks.

“I’ve got no intention of going anywhere if it goes t***-up!”

Bruce has been forced to work with a restricted budget this season, with Villa spending just £2.5million on transfer fees in the last two transfer windows.

And he acknowledged the club would likely have to tighten their belts further should they miss out on promotion.

“I’ll keep trying to take us there and achievement-wise it will be up there with anything I’ve done, that’s for sure,” he said.

“It hasn’t been easy with financial fair play.

“People need reminding of that because they think I’ve used a big cheque book here, which has not been the case.

“We’ve brought in loans and I think I spent £2m in the summer and brought in £20m.

“So it hasn’t been easy. We’ve had to balance the books and try to get the club on an even keel financially too.

“Next year the parachute payments will be reduced. If there wasn’t a lot of money last year then I can’t see it being any different next year, in fact it might be worse.”

Bruce’s mother, Sheenagh, passed away last week after three months battling a serious illness.

The Villa boss admitted the shock of losing both parents in quick succession had “rocked me to the bones”.

He said: “My mom was fighting since January 29 against it and the one thing she did enjoy was a trip to Wembley. So I hope I can give her that.

“The family and the support you get from them is invaluable and the one thing they would want me to do, as my parents would, is carry on and get on with it.

“That was their motto in life - ‘carry on and get on with it’ - and that’s what I’ll do.”