WITH Middlesbrough sitting one point off the top of the Championship, midfielder Richard Smallwood accepts he will have to be patient in his quest to nail down a regular place in Tony Mowbray's starting XI.

Smallwood has been in and around the Middlesbrough first-team for a couple of seasons now and since Mowbray's arrival just over two years ago, the 21-year-old has impressed whenever he has been given a chance to shine in competitive matches.

The Redcar-born midfielder has scored twice this season - most recently in Boro's 4-1 win at Charlton and, given the club's tradition of giving young players a chance, Smallwood knows he is in the best place to develop.

Appearances have largely been limited to cup competitions and from the bench, but the 21-year-old accepts he will have to bide his time, especially given the club's encouraging position in the table.

"When I first started playing I did okay and I wanted to get more games," he said. "Sometimes it doesn't work out like that. The squad gets stronger and it's going to be tough.

"Ultimately, it's not down to me, I can only play to the best of my ability and it's the manager's decision and you can't have any arguments with that at the moment because we're a point off the top of the league and the lads are doing pretty brilliant.

"Obviously the club has proved it gives younger players a chance. I've had mine and I think I've taken it well.

"I've got myself into the first team squad and I'm around it all the time and it's good to be around the squad when things are going as well as they are.

"It's been a flying start and long may it continue. Results just keep coming. We're doing really well at home and away as well and hopefully by the end of the season we'll be right up there."

Smallwood is thankful for the opportunities he has been given at the Riverside and he made an appearance at the Acklam Green Centre last night where youngsters from Middlesbrough FC in the Community's Kickz Project tried their hands at graffiti art.

Although Kickz is primarily football-based, the youth club sessions offer much more than just football including street dance and boxercise to DJ workshops and even a trip to the golf driving range.

Smallwood was a regular visitor to a youth club in Redcar as a child and having been given the opportunity to showcase his talent by the club, he understands how important it is for young people to be given the same opportunities.

He said: "I used to go to a youth club on a Thursday night in Redcar and we'd do exactly the same kind of things.

"It's good for nights like this when it's winter, it's cold and you can come to places like this and try different things and get the opportunity to do interesting things.

"It's better than being on the streets. Back in my days we had similar things and it was good to have that.

"It's important places like this exist for the local communities and it's nice to come down and see what kind of activities the kids have a go at."