The 34-year-old Australia international is currently in talks with the Teessiders as he prepares to enter the final year of his existing deal.

However, having seen compatriot Mark Viduka leave the Riverside Stadium for derby rivals Newcastle last month after the club delayed opening talks with him, Schwarzer vented his frustration.

Boro's public reaction was diplomatic, although they were privately less than impressed by the goalkeeper's comments.

Chief executive Keith Lamb said: "Talks with Mark are ongoing, but we do not conduct our negotiations through the media."

Schwarzer signed a three-year contract extension in January 2005 after withdrawing a shock transfer request.

He completed 10 years at the Riverside in February this year following his £1.5million move from Bradford.

However, Viduka's situation has brought his own into ever sharper focus.

Manager Gareth Southgate admitted as he tried desperately to persuade the striker to agree a new deal that talks might have started earlier.

Now he faces a similar battle with Schwarzer, who has been unimpressed with the club's efforts to date as he contemplates the possibility of continuing his career elsewhere.

He told the Australian press: "I have taken it to be quite normal at Middlesbrough, they do leave things very, very late and they tend to do things only when they are under pressure to do something.

"It's unfortunate because it's not just with me, it's with other players like Mark.

"You would think with the more experienced players and the important players in the squad, you would look to tie them down earlier and not let things drag on.

"But for some reason, and unbeknown to most of us, Middlesbrough tend to leave it until very late to sort it out.

"I am not sure what I am doing at the moment. My agent is in discussions with Middlesbrough and they have indicated that they want to offer me a new contract, but as yet we haven't agreed to any terms.

"Plus there is interest from other clubs - one or two in England, but a couple from abroad as well."

Schwarzer, who has been linked with Bayern Munich, is intent on agreeing a deal which will take him up to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, and if that means moving to another club, he will have no qualms about doing so.

He said: "What I want to do is be settled and have my future settled up until the next World Cup, and the question is whether that will happen at Middlesbrough or somewhere else.

"I have got to the stage where I have been at Middlesbrough for over 10 years and I have given them very good loyalty and service.

"If that means I need to move on and go elsewhere, then that's not a problem, I will do so.

"There are a lot of factors involved. I have got one year left on my contract, so if they don't want to let me go, they don't have to accept any transfer fee for me.

"By the same token, we don't need to agree to a new contract and, come January, I can talk to anyone I want to within Europe. It's up in the air."

Meanwhile, Boro new boy Tuncay Sanli is expected to join up with the club at their pre-season training camp in Austria next week.

The 25-year-old Turkey international has now been granted a work permit but has yet to physically receive it and cannot enter the country until he does so.

The likelihood is that he will fly straight to Austria on Monday and meet his new team-mates at their base there.