Southgate hails Johnson

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has hailed the recent impact Adam Johnson has made on his first-team. Despite Boro's struggles, Johnson has been given his longest run in the side since making his debut under Steve McClaren.Now Johnson is making a big impact with Boro and England's U21 side; form which has seen him linked to some of Europe's biggest clubs including Real Madrid and Liverpool.And Southgate admits he is delighted with the Sunderland-born wide-man. "Adam has taken his chance well and he has set standards that he needs to maintain," Southgate told the Evening Gazette."He has established himself as part of the squad and has to continue to push on."We have been delighted with what he has achieved and he has the ability to do well."What he needs is the experience and this will come in time."When Adam is playing like this it gives us the chance to look at Stewart [Downing] again and consider switching him because we know there is another side to his game than just playing out wide."I thought Stewart looked a really top player at West Ham because he was able to take the game by the scruff of the neck with his runs from deep positions."He has that ability and we must use it when the time is right. We can do that when Adam is performing well because it gives us so many other options."

Source: SKY_Sports