Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate insists his side is not alone in the Coca-Cola Championship in lacking experience.

Aside from 36-year-old summer signing Danny Coyne, Boro have few men within their ranks who have been around for some time, especially with skipper Emanuel Pogatetz still on the way back from long-term injury.

Southgate said: "Your older players have a share of responsibility, so the likes of Julio Arca have a role to play.

"But then you are going to people like Gary O'Neil, who is only 26 himself, so there's not a great depth of experience in terms of games players and age.

"But other teams are in the same boat. There are lots of young players in this division - that's why they are in this division.

"They are either learning their trade or they are maybe not as good as those playing in the Premier League."