Middlesbrough midfielder Stewart Downing has denied he is to move in the January transfer window to Tottenham or Aston Villa. The 24 year old is quoted as saying: "I signed a long term-deal earlier this year and my only aim at the minute is to try and get into Europe with Middlesbrough. This is my hometown club, I started here and it's the only club I've played for apart from a spell on loan at Sunderland.

"There is always going to be speculation with players and you've just got to blank it out because if you concentrate on what the press is saying your form will dip and that doesn't help you or the team.

"This is an important time for us, my performances have been going well and I don't want my form to dip again. Over the last couple of seasons it's been like this and I didn't let it affect me, so I'm not going to let it affect me now. I just want to concentrate on playing well for Boro."