'Outstanding' Middlesbrough defender and former Leeds United favourite Luke Ayling earns praise from 'proud' Boro chief

His current one at Boro in Michael Carrick was left to extol his virtues as both a player, leader and character after Tuesday night’s relieving 3-1 win at Stoke City after suffering alongside his team-mates during the club’s recent rough spell.

After toiling in a televised Tees-Wear derby against Sunderland in particular at the start of February and being involved in an awful concession in the game at Preston last month, Ayling’s longevity was being questioned by many of a Boro persuasion.

He found himself dropped on the bench recently, but found a way back after an injury to George Edmundson in he first half at Stoke and his performance in an unfamiliar left-sided centre-half role showed what the 33-year-old was all about, according to Carrick.

The Boro chief, whose side ended a dreadful five-match losing sequence thanks to goals from Marcus Forss, Finn Azaz and Tommy Conway, said: "I’ll give Luke a mention because, for him to come in after not playing the last game or so... He’s been captain a lot this season and he’s a really important personality in the group.

"The way he’s dealt with this period and this week has been pretty outstanding, to be honest.

"He’s stepped up, been the leader in the group and so seeing him come on as left centre half - I don’t think he’s played there before and yet he didn’t bat an eyelid - makes me feel really proud.

"That’s what it takes, really. It makes me proud knowing we’ve got players like that.”

Boro are four points behind the sides currently occupying the final two play-off spots in the top six in Blackburn Rovers and West Brom.