A talkSPORT pundit has backed one of Middlesbrough’s current stars to play Champions League football in the future.
Given Middlesbrough have spent 14 of the last 15 seasons in the Championship, it is not surprising to see the club have not had too many players go on to play Champions League football.
Boro themselves have never reached the heights of Europe’s premier competition, though they did make it to the UEFA Cup (Europa League) final in 2006 before losing to Sevilla.
Victor Valdes is Middlesbrough’s most decorated alumni, having won the Champions League on three occasions with FC Barcelona.
Alvaro Negredo has also been a regular feature in the competition over the years, but very few players have left Boro for a Champions League side.
Chuba Akpom joined Ajax last summer and no doubt expected to be plying his trade in the competition in 2024/25.
But after a disappointing season in Amsterdam, Ajax finished fifth in the Eredivisie, only securing a Europa Conference League place as a result.
Rav van den Berg backed to play Champions League football
However, one current Middlesbrough star is now being backed to reach the heights of the Champions League during his career.
The player in question is Rav van den Berg, whom Boro signed from Dutch outfit PEC Zwolle last summer.
The 19-year-old shone during his first season at the Riverside and is now being backed to play Champions League football by talkSPORT pundit Phil Spencer, who shared his thoughts on Van den Berg with Football League World.
He said: “In terms of how far he can go, I can see him going all the way and playing in the Champions League and being that level of player because, as I said, his technical ability, his defensive play and his ability to read danger is absolutely outstanding.
“As far as Middlesbrough are concerned, if we can keep hold of him this summer, we’ve got another season before he gets snapped up by one of the big boys in the Premier League or around Europe, because he has the potential to become that good and one of the best defenders in Europe.”
Middlesbrough must keep hold of Van den Berg
Van den Berg made 39 appearances during his debut campaign on Teesside, operating primarily as a centre-back but also at right-back on 14 occasions.
Despite his age, Van den Berg was one of the club’s standout stars during the previous campaign and was rewarded for his fine form by being named Middlesbrough’s Player of the Year for 2023/24.
The teenager’s rapid rise in the North East has led to summer transfer interest from unnamed Premier League clubs.
But Michael Carrick should do everything in his power to ensure Van den Berg remains at the club for at least one more season.
Middlesbrough finished eighth in the Championship last season, in part due to several key players leaving in the summer of 2023.
And if Carrick wants to mount a proper promotion charge in 2024/25, ensuring Van den Berg remains at Boro will be key to that.