Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson has played down talk of an England call this season.

Gibson, 23, was a mainstay of the Boro defence which won promotion last season and is being tipped to earn a place in Sam Allardyce's first England squad.

Big Sam is believed to be an admirer of Gibson but he is ignoring all talk of a call-up.

“That seems a million miles away," he said. "For me, it's one step at a time.

“It was only a few months ago I was playing in the Championship and if Brighton had scored in the last minute at our place in May, I'd still be a Championship player."