Southgate Praise For Alves

Last updated : 28 February 2008 By Sam
Alvez completed just over an hour of the FA Cup fifth round replay which Boro won 1-0 in extra time.

"He was bright, he showed a few flashes of what is going to come," the Boro boss said of his January transfer window signing.

"It was good to give him a start.

"There was one free-kick that we were standing behind and we thought 'he is not going to hit this' and it moved all over the place.

"It was obviously not the most popular decision to take him off, but we were very conscious that it was his first game and with Reading on Saturday as well, we had to have an eye on both things."