Middlesbrough hero Gary Pallister is backing Ben Gibson for an England call.

Pallister, who won 22 caps, says impressive Gibson ticks all the boxes as a future England player - and he has one major advantage.

"He's a left footed centre-half and there is a dearth of those around," the Ayresome hero told the Evening Gazette. “That gives him a massive advantage when it comes to England, of course it does.

“But he has all the other attributes too. He is strong, he reads the game well, he is composed, he can tackle, he can head it and he's an intelligent player who learns from every game."