Middlesbrough defender Andrew Taylor has warned Austrian defender Emanuel Pogatetz he is gunning for his place in the Teessiders' first team.The 21-year-old full-back returned to senior action after a four-month lay-off with a troublesome foot injury as a substitute in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal on Saturday.

Taylor played only 30 minutes - and admits he is not even sure if he touched the ball - at the Emirates Stadium, but is desperate to regain his place in Gareth Southgate's side.

The Hartlepool-born England Under-21 international had established himself as the club's first-choice left-back until his injury struck, and it has been Austria international Pogatetz, who played most of last season in central defence, who has covered for him in recent weeks.

With Taylor now back and Robert Huth and David Wheater having formed a solid central partnership, competition for places at the back will be intense, although that is not a challenge he fears.

Taylor said: "It's brilliant to be back playing. I just wanted to be involved with the lads and playing, and to get back in the action is a fantastic feeling.

"It is going to be hard to get back into the side as Poggy has been doing really well, but that's my main aim - to hopefully get my place back in the team before the end of the season."

Taylor's return came too late for him to play any part in the club's FA Cup run, which came to a shock end in the quarter-finals with a home defeat by Coca-Cola Championship side Cardiff.

However, Boro face bottom-of-the-league Derby on Saturday having bounced back with creditable Premier League draws at Aston Villa and Arsenal since, although they know there is still work to be done before they are clear of relegation.

Taylor told the club's official website: "We cannot dwell on the past.

"We have still got a lot of important games to go and our main priority is to get as many points as we can and finish this season well."

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