David Wheater has been told by Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate to show his qualities and win his place back in the first team.

Throughout the season, the England U-21 International has been frequently used as a right back but with the arrival of Justin Hoyte, he has now found himself on the bench. Speaking recently Middlesbrough assistant manager Malcolm Crosby said “David has been a little bit unfortunate…We knew he could play at right-back so, because of circumstances, we decided to play him there.

He continued “David's been unfortunate in that he hasn't been able to get back in at centre back…That presents a new challenge, but it's one he's going to have to meet head on.

Wheater has quickly developed a reputation as a quality defender since coming through the Middlesbrough youth team. He made his Premier League debut in 2007 and has made 52 appearances for the club, scoring 5 goals.