GIBSON IS BACK FOR A FUTURE WITH BORO

BEN GIBSON could stay at Middlesbrough and spearhead a promotion campaign.

Boss Steve Agnew has opened up the possibility of the Teessiders keeping their prize asset.

Top clubs such as Chelsea and Liverpoool have been strongly linked with the centre-back called up by England.

But Agnew believes Gibson (above), the nephew of chairman Steve Gibson, will stick around.

He said: “Ben is one of the group and determined to stay with it and see Boro back into the Premier League. I don’t think it is inevitable he leaves.

“He signed a new fiveyear contract during the season and has had an amazing season.

“Ben has shown that he is a consistent Premier League player this season.

“I think it’s like any football club in any summer. Whatever happens, there’s always going to be movement in any transfer market.

“But all the players are under contract and I’m not aware of any interest from elsewhere.”

If a concrete bid arrives from one of the big guns, 24-year-old Gibson may not be able to reject the offer.

However, if a lesser top-flight club comes in he could stick with his hometown club. Boro were devastated when relegation was confirmed at Chelsea on Monday night.

And Agnew is demanding a top-class performance against Southampton today.

He has exchanged texts with owner Gibson but not discussed his future as manager, and said: “It’s about how we finish strong and then we regroup, have a good summer, and make sure we’re in a fight to bounce back to the Premier League as quick as we can.”

Agnew believes Burnley, who came back at the first time of asking under Sean Dyche, are a good model to follow.

He said: “It has taken Sean a while to do that, to build a team, to build a squad, to get back into the Premier League – but he has done that and returned very quickly.”