Southgate hails Gibson role

Southgate: Ambitious

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Gareth Southgate feels Middlesbrough are fortunate to have Steve Gibson as their chairman.

Recently-relegated Boro are preparing for life in the Championship next season, but that has not stopped their ever-reliable owner from promising to make funds available for new purchases this summer.

Gibson has already written off around £70million owed to him by the club following their slump into the second tier, but he will have no problem stumping up more cash in the weeks to come.

Southgate's cause this summer will also be helped by the expected fire sale of the club's top talents, with the likes of Tuncay Sanli, Adam Johnson, Matthew Bates and Jeremie Aliadiere all expected to be on the move.

The news that he will be able to search for suitable replacements for those heading for the exits has come as a welcome bonus to the Boro boss, who believes the Riverside Stadium hierarchy are among the best in the business.

"Steve has gone through the ringer," he told the Sunday Sun.

"He's shown his strength of character by the decisions that he's made. He wants this football club to survive. But he also knows that we can cope with whatever's thrown at us and we're strong enough to deal with that.

"He's got a sense of perspective on things, but he is driven and he wants this football club to achieve.

"We share that ambition. It's great to work with somebody with that but also who understands that circumstances can sometimes go against you."