Middlesbrough's academy is one of the best in the country according to the Football Association's head of elite development Gareth Southgate. Southgate, who captained Boro to their Carling Cup triumph in 2004 before managing the club between 2006 and 2009, said: "The Middlesbrough academy is excellent. I spent Monday morning with Dave Parnaby. There's no doubt that Dave is a fantastic asset to the club, while you've got to praise Ron Bone too for the players he's found over the years.

"In terms of just how good the Middlesbrough academy is, if you look at productivity, it's definitely up there in the top 10 in this country.

"You've obviously got clubs like Manchester United who have produced a lot of senior internationals over the last 20 years, but they're a massive club.

"It's clear that Middlesbrough have surpassed expectations and they've got more lads coming through too."

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