GIB US HOPE
Local hero Ben’s got bottle for battle to beat the drop
BEN GIBSON ticks all the boxes to lead Middlesbrough’s relegation fight, claims Steve Agnew.
Agnew (above) has stuck with Gibson as captain over regular skipper Grant Leadbitter and his No.2 George Friend.
Gibson, 24, has played every minute of Boro’s Premier League campaign in his first season in the top flight.
And head coach Agnew is hugely impressed with the Teessider’s maturity.
He said: “Obviously Grant, George and Ben have shared it over the last couple of years, but I think with George’s injury and Ben being around just a bit more often, I thought we’d just stay with it.
“He’s a good player with a fantastic mentality and a Middlesbrough boy. He wants to play a big part in captaining a team that fights for the points to stay in the Premier League.” Centre-half Gibson was rewarded with his first England callup in March and Agnew said: “Ben is unique, really. He can handle everything that’s thrown at him and that’s why he’s got such big future.”
Under Gibson’s leadership, Boro have seized four points from their last two games to keep alive their faint survival hopes. Six points adrift with three games to go, the odds remain stacked against them.
But Agnew is heartened by their mini-revival, especially after nearly pulling off a famous win over Manchester City at the Riverside on Sunday. “I think in recent weeks, OK the results haven’t gone for us, but there have been promising signs,” he said.
“I didn’t think we deserved to get beaten against Arsenal, we pushed Manchester United until the very end and we did well against City.
“You’re talking about top teams and we put in performances that showed spirit and effort. The players have been top class and that has also been the case on the training ground.”