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MIDDLESBROUGH v MANCHESTER UNITED - BOATENG PAYS TRIBUTE TO DOWNING
George Boateng has paid tribute to England winger Stewart Downing for the part he has played in Middlesbrough's recent revival.
Downing, 23, has started all but one of his hometown club's 39 games to date this season and appeared as a substitute in that one, scoring seven goals in the process.
It has proved a difficult campaign for Downing, who has had to contend with losing his place in the England squad and protracted contract negotiations.
However, with a new five-year deal signed and new national boss Fabio Capello having restored him to his plans, the Boro winger has thrown off the shackles and produced some of his best form of the campaign.
Manager Gareth Southgate will hope his leading Academy graduate will produce his best form as Manchester United head for the Riverside Stadium on Sunday, and team-mate Boateng knows just how difficult that can be for opponents.
The Dutch midfielder said: "He is a threat. Sometimes I have to play right full-back in training, and I will tell you now, I do not like playing against Stewart Downing.
"He is so quick. He is probably the most developed player since I have been here - when I came here, he was a very young boy.
"For David Wheater, Adam Johnson, Andrew Taylor, Jonathan Grounds, all the Academy players who have made it to the senior squad, if you need a role model, I would say have a look at Stewart Downing.
"The guy is very down to earth, he works extremely hard. We always look at his stats and we sometimes think, 'How does he do it?'
"He will run 13km on a Wednesday and then do the same again on the Saturday. You think surely he must get tired sometime, but he doesn't.
"I am happy for the club that they have managed to keep him here."
Downing's form has helped to ease Boro away from the foot of the table in the wake of their shock quarter-final exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Cardiff.
The fixture list has hardly been kind to them, with trips to Aston Villa, Arsenal and Chelsea either side of relegated Derby's trip to Teesside ahead of this weekend's tough assignment.
However, only Chelsea have got the better of Gareth Southgate's men, and that by the only goal in a game which saw Boro rattle the woodwork three times.
Meanwhile, striker Mido is set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on a hernia problem, while defender Robert Huth's foot injury continues to be a concern.
But Fabio Rochemback is available again after serving a two-game suspension.
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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