Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admits he may take advantage of the loan system next season.

Southgate told the Evening Gazette: "I think with Adam (Johnson) we knew he needed that spell on loan. Ideally it would have been longer. First team football is what he needs at the stage he's at.

"There's a few of our players in that position. Because the squad isn’t huge you need the strength in our squad on the bench and that doesn't always allow our younger players to develop as we would hope.

"I've got to look at that next season - the size of the squad," he added. "You can't carry too many senior players but, also, you want younger players, if they're not in the team, to be out on loan.

"The loan system is quite tricky because if you send them out you can’t have them back for 28 days and there are times when it would have been best for our young players to go and get regular football but you have to cover yourself as a club and a manger in case of injury.

"It's a tricky balancing act. I want those players to come through but I've also got to make sure that results are right for the first team."