Bates wants end to Boro heartache

The 23-year-old Academy graduate was unable to prevent his side from slipping back into the Championship's bottom three despite a fine individual display in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Millwall.

But he knows only he and his team-mates can drag the club out of trouble as they head into this weekend's clash with Hull.

Bates told the club's official website: "It's not nice to go off the field to boos and to go home and look at the table and see yourselves third bottom.

"It's your own personal pride that's dented as well as how you feel for the fans and the club.

"But we have only got ourselves to blame and we have to pick ourselves up."

Source: PA

Source: PA