David Wheater is expecting Middlesbrough pal Afonso Alves to enjoy a big Premiership campaign next season.

"I have always said we should be in the top 10 or higher," Wheater told the Evening Gazette, "and if Afonso scores the number of goals I think he will, then we will be up there. When you think of all the chances we created last season, we really didn't score as many goals as we could have - we often didn't put the ball in the net when we were on top."

And Wheater revealed that inside knowledge of having seen Alves at close quarters in training on a daily basis had left him in no doubt of the 27-year-old's ability in front of goal.

"The fans obviously saw what Afonso could do in the games against Man City and Man United, but the players saw in training just how good he is," he explained.

"He took a bit of time to settle in and get used to the speed and physical side of English games, but I think he is over that now. In training, if he gets a chance he will score, simple as that. He's just brilliant in the box, a bit like Ruud van Nistelrooy."