Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate believes midfielder Stewart Downing is back to his best form.

After a brilliant performance last week against Aston Villa, Southgate hailed the 24-year old.

"I thought that Stewart had an excellent game at Aston Villa last weekend," he told the Middlesbrough Gazette.

"He is starting to look bright again and he's been sharp in training.

"I'm sure he is on his way now and that can only be good for the team, because when Stewart is playing well, the team plays well.

"In fact you have seen that in the last few games. The players have worked hard to put a nice little run together and now they have to try to progress further."