Middlesbrough Football Club News

• Nickname:Boro
• Founded:1876
• Manager:Tony Mowbray

• Ground:Riverside Stadium
• Capacity:35,049

Johnson fires Boro warning

31 Jul 2008 - 09:55:25

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Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson has warned that he will leave the club if necessary to secure regular first-team football.

The 21-year-old finds himself behind England international Stewart Downing in the pecking order at the Riverside Stadium and Johnson says he will move on if he has to.

He told the Northern Echo: "I don't want to leave, this is the team I want to play for week in and week out, but if that's not going to happen then I'm not scared to leave.

"All I want to do is play football, I want to be in the team and showing people what I can do, what I am all about.

"I have talked with the manager and we are only three matches into pre-season, so I don't want to be seen as saying this, that and the other and moaning.

"But as time goes on I'm getting more and more frustrated. I just want to play and I'm more than ready to step up. I want to be a Premier League player."

Meanwhile, Boro have handed a trial to 26-year-old New Zealand left-back Tony Lochhead, who currently plays for Wellington Phoenix.

Boss Gareth Southgate confirmed: "We are very keen to take a look at Tony, judge him against the players we have here and see if we can use him.

"At the moment we have several great young players, but we are probably lacking a bit of experience. That's why it will be good to take a look at Tony."