Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits he's a fan of Middlesbrough's academy.

He said: "Middlesbrough are struggling because they lost players like Mark Viduka and Yakubu in the summer. It is very hard to replace players like that, as Gareth Southgate is discovering. I think that is why they are not doing as well this year.

"But they will be OK. They produce a lot of good young players up there and I am sure that will continue."