Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has told Rafa Benitez to forget about signing Stewart Downing.
The 22-year-old England international signed a new, five-year deal in February but that has not deterred Liverpool, who are lining up a £12 million offer.
However Lamb said: 'His best years are ahead of him. In fact, we believe Stewart will become one of the best footballers, not just in Britain but in Europe with Middlesbrough
'Stewart's got everything as a player and is playing possibly the best football of his career, both for Middlesbrough and for England, but I don't feel that he is fulfilled his potential yet.
'We were all delighted that Stewart signed a new contract last season. We believe he is happy and settled here. Having said that, we know that Stewart has to achieve all that his talent allows, so the onus is on Middlesbrough to ensure his ambitions are fulfilled here.'
The 22-year-old England international signed a new, five-year deal in February but that has not deterred Liverpool, who are lining up a £12 million offer.
However Lamb said: 'His best years are ahead of him. In fact, we believe Stewart will become one of the best footballers, not just in Britain but in Europe with Middlesbrough
'Stewart's got everything as a player and is playing possibly the best football of his career, both for Middlesbrough and for England, but I don't feel that he is fulfilled his potential yet.
'We were all delighted that Stewart signed a new contract last season. We believe he is happy and settled here. Having said that, we know that Stewart has to achieve all that his talent allows, so the onus is on Middlesbrough to ensure his ambitions are fulfilled here.'
No comments:
Post a Comment