Boro, who were relegated from the Premiership in 2009, are currently in the Championship's lower-half but McDonald believes they can fight for promotion next term.

McDonald, 27, has scored eight goals in 12 games as Boro have moved away from the drop zone in recent weeks after an awful first-half of the season which saw boss Gordon Strachan sacked.

Middlesbrough have only been beaten once in their past 10 matches and are now up to 15th in the Championship.

“We’ve got a fantastic core to this team now,” McDonald told the Evening Gazette. “We have a great desire, we always want to win. We can score goals.

“I think that core is good enough to go on to challenge for the top next season.

“I know we have had our problems with injuries this year but when we get anywhere near our strongest team out on the pitch then we can match anyone. We’ve shown that.”

Fellow Australian Rhys Williams had been absent for most of the season with a pelvis injury but his return last month has coincided with the team's improve in form.

McDonald added: “If we can keep the core of the team together and get a bit of consistency and be a bit more solid, that is the key.

“We know what we need and we are getting there. We need to try not to concede too many. If we can do that then there’s no reason we can’t be right up there next season.

“We have shown we have the quality to go and do damage to teams. We can score.

“That was what we were lacking early in the season. We weren’t getting goals when we were on top in games.

“We are doing that now. We just need to tweak it at the other end now and we’ll be good for a challenge.”

McDonald continued: “The key to success is staying solid, keeping clean sheets. If you can do that and make your own chances count then you can put runs of wins together. And I think if we keep improving the way we have been this year we can do that.

“There isn’t much between the teams in this league. QPR have been the best team in it but, no disrespect to them, even when you played them you didn’t feel you were outclassed.

“We have competed against all the top teams and we have got some good results. We just need to do it consistently.

“We know there will be some changes in the summer but if we keep the core together and bring some of the kids through we will be stronger.

“Some great young kids have come through this season and they have learned a lot about the league very quickly. They will be stronger next season and that’s a big plus too.”

Middlesbrough travel to promotion hopefuls Cardiff City on Monday and McDonald may be available despite a recent hamstring injury.

Boro boss Tony Mowbray told the club's website: "I previously thought Scott's season might be over but he is probably touch and go for Monday.

"It's not a bad hamstring tear, the sort that will keep you out for six weeks, and he is desperate to play at Cardiff.

"If you are asking me if he will play, I would say probably not, but sometimes when it's touch and go, you might play him when there's only game left anyway.

"He's giving me half a glimpse that he wants to play. We will go on the judgement of the medical department and their expertise but it's good that he wants to play."