Middlesbrough's Ben Gibson is targeting promotion
Friday 17 April 2015 10:42, UK
Ben Gibson is targeting promotion to the Barclays Premier League as the first step in the process of restoring Middlesbrough to the big time.
The 22-year-old defender and his team-mates will return to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table - for a few hours at least - with just two games left if they can see off fellow top-flight hopefuls Norwich at Carrow Road on Friday evening.
That would give them a genuine chance of securing a return to the top flight after five seasons, and for that reason, Gibson believes the trip to Norfolk is as big as either the club's Carling Cup success of 2004 or their feat in reaching the final of the UEFA Cup two years later.
He said: "I was only a young lad, I was just a fan, really, and part of the Academy at that time, so I can't really comprehend what that would be like in and around day-to-day.
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"But as a fan, it's as important because of the difference now, we all know, financially between the Championship and the Premier League, and just the difference in the effect it has on the town is massive, so I would think this is as big a finish to the season as any of them."
Gibson, the nephew of Boro chairman Steve, was a schoolboy when the Teessiders lifted their first ever major trophy at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium a little more than 11 years ago, and later made it all the way to a European showdown with Sevilla in Eindhoven.
He said: "They were just amazing days. The UEFA Cup, the run-in was spectacular really, the quarter-final, the semi-final, the comebacks at home. Eindhoven was a fantastic day - until kick-off.
"It was an amazing experience for a fan of a small-town club. 'A small club in Europe', the fans used to sing - that's what we were, and obviously we are looking to bring those days back.
"Obviously, that's a long way off at the minute, but one step at a time."
Head coach Aitor Karanka admits victory for either his side or the Canaries would end the other's hopes of automatic promotion, but is relishing the pressure of the run-in having taken counsel from old friend Jose Mourinho, to whom he was assistant at Real Madrid before heading for England.
Karanka said: "He said two weeks ago that to win now 1-0 is the same as winning 10-0 in September. Every single point is important, every single set-piece is important, and the most important thing is that the players know."
Norwich boss Alex Neil, whose second-placed side go into the game a point better off than Boro in fourth, is equally aware of how crucial the fixture could prove.
He told Norwich City TV: "It's a huge game for both clubs. Whichever team comes out on top - if there is a winner - will have a huge advantage going into the remaining two games.
"We're really confident, we're in a good place the moment. We know what our task is, and if we play at our full potential, then we can beat anyone in the league. We've got to make sure we hit those heights in the game tomorrow night.
"For both teams, a win is what is needed. We'll go into the game with the approach of trying to do that, and I'm sure they will be the same."
