Ross Turnbull has been Middlesbrough’s forgotten man since he was dropped three months ago. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson met the goalkeeper at the town’s library and discussed the story of his season.

WHEN Ross Turnbull spent half-an-hour extolling the virtues of a good book at a literacy event at Middlesbrough Central Library on Tuesday, the irony of the occasion was not lost on the goalkeeper.

For the last three months, the Middlesbrough team sheet has made for anything but pleasant reading.

“It’s been tough, but the manager said he wanted to make a change and you have to go along with that,” said Turnbull, who started 22 Premier League matches in a row before he was unceremoniously dumped from the starting line-up at the end of January. “I didn’t agree with the decision, but I’ve had to respect it.”

He might have nominated George Best’s autobiography as his favourite book, but ‘Lessons in the art of diplomacy’ also appears to have formed part of his bedtime reading.

Turnbull is far too bright to let his emotions run wild, but beneath the genuine admiration for his teammate, Brad Jones, it is not hard to detect a simmering resentment at the way he has been treated this season.

And not without cause.

Having broken into the starting line-up when Jones was injured during the warm-up at Anfield ahead of the second match of the season, Turnbull calmly set about silencing the critics who had claimed Boro boss Gareth Southgate had erred by not signing an experienced replacement for Mark Schwarzer.

He produced the occasional mistake – most notably during a 5-0 home defeat to Chelsea – but the majority of his displays oozed confidence and maturity, with a series of impressive point-blank saves complementing a command of his box that had been apparent throughout his development through Boro’s Academy.

After a series of largely unsuccessful loan spells, he finally looked to have broken through and established himself as a proven Premier League presence.

On January 31, however, all of that would change.

When Southgate named his starting line-up for the home game with Blackburn, it was Jones, not Turnbull, who was starting between the sticks. Fourteen matches later, and the 24-year-old has not had another sniff.

“I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I thought I was playing well enough to deserve a place in the team. I was generally pleased with how I was doing, and that made it even more disappointing when I lost my place.

“That’s what happened though and it’s just one of those things. The manager thought he needed a change, and that’s what happened.

“It’s been difficult, especially with the situation that we’re in. It’s never nice to see your side losing matches, but it’s even worse when you’re sitting on the sidelines not able to do anything about it.

“It’s especially hard as a goalkeeper, but you learn to understand the situation. There’s only one of us that can play, and the manager has to decide which one that’s going to be.

It’s his job to make that decision.

“I respect his decision, and I’ll just keep doing what I do in training. If I get a chance again, I have absolutely no doubt that I’ll take it.”

Turnbull’s situation is exacerbated by the fact that he is out of contract at the end of the season.

He refused to accept Boro’s only contract offer so far at the end of last year, and while he is reluctant to make an explicit link between that decision and Southgate’s move to drop him, it would be strange if the two events were not connected in some way.

Either way, with Boro refusing to discuss new contracts in their current position, Turnbull is due to become unemployed this summer.

“We’ve said we’re going to wait until the end of the season now,” he said.

“There’s only a month to go, so this is not the time to be talking about contracts or anything like that. The most important thing is the four games that are coming up – everything else can wait until the summer.”

Turnbull’s chances of securing a new deal with Middlesbrough will undoubtedly be enhanced if the Teessiders remain in the Premier League this season.

They are three points from safety with four games to play, but while tomorrow’s assignment against Manchester United could hardly be tougher, the Newton Aycliffe-bred shot stopper remains confident of avoiding the drop.

“We can get something this weekend,” he said.

“We’re renowned for picking up points against the big teams, especially at home, so I can’t see why we shouldn’t get something this weekend.

“It’s going to be unbelievably difficult, but there’s no reason why we can’t win. We beat Liverpool 2-0 so there’s no reason why we can’t beat Manchester United. From there, anything’s possible. There’s only three points in it, and that’s only one win. The situation is still open for us, and I’m sure we’ll be safe.”