LEICESTER City boss Dave Bassett has indicated Muzzy Izzet could still be tempted to move to Middlesbrough during the summer.

The 27-year-old midfielder turned down a £6m switch to the Riverside in February despite being offered wages believed to be around £30,000 a week.

But Izzet's decision to turn Boro down has not put off manager Steve McClaren, who hopes the deal could be revived at the end of the season.

Celtic are also said to be interested in the player who is determined to leave the struggling Foxes, who are 13 points adrift of safety with six Premiership games remaining.

Leicester chief Bassett believes McClaren has every chance of persuading the attacking-midfielder to complete a move to the North-East.

"I think Muzzy Izzet will go because he is on the transfer list and Middlesbrough are very keen on him and he has to make a decision," he said.

"Muzzy wants to play in the Premier League and one or two of our other players want to play in the Premier League but they have to be offered the opportunity."

Izzet originally turned down Boro when they were battling against the drop themselves.

But since that day McClaren has guided his side to tenth in the top-flight, with Premiership status virtually assured, and into the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, Boro right-back Robbie Stockdale has revealed his delight at becoming one of the permanent fixtures in McClaren's first team.

The 22-year-old has been a constant performer for the Teessiders and his displays have not gone unnoticed.

New Scotland manager Berti Vogts is expected to name Stockdale in the squad for the Nigeria clash at Pittodrie on April 17.

Coupled with an FA Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal at Old Trafford three days earlier, the former England Under -21 international is delighted with how things are going.

"This has been a massive season for me," said Stockdale. "I have grown in confidence through playing games and there's more to come.

"I'm doing OK in the Premiership, but there are certain things I need to improve on and we're working very hard in training to improve on them.

"I don't want to sit back, I want to become the best I can and I see better things to come from me as a player.

"If you had told me at the start of the season what was going to happen, on a personal note and team note, I'd say you were mad.

"It's amazing, I can't keep the smile off my face.

"The manager has said enjoy the Cup run by all means but we still need points, that's the most important thing."

Stockdale has been part of a Boro defence which has received rave reviews from all quarters during the current campaign.

But the hard-working full-back believes that it has been a team effort and the club's change in fortunes has not been down to just the back four.

"It's not just the defence," he said. "We have been getting a lot of praise, but it's down to people like Robbie Mustoe and Paul Ince, who are playing in a sitting role in front of us, and people like Luke Wilkshire coming in."

* Boro defender Stuart Parnaby has been named in the England Under-20s squad to face Portugal next week.

Middlesbrough opened up a three-point gap at the top of the FA Premier Reserve League North after beating Liverpool 4-3 at the Riverside last night.

Central defender Colin Cooper played his first match since the tragic death of his son, Finlay, at the end of January, but it was Boro's strike force which captured the headlines as Dean Windass scored twice, Frenchman Michael Debeve opened the scoring with his first for the club and Alan Johnston was also on target.

Johnston headed home a cross from Stewart Downing three minutes into the second half before Boro's defence backed off to allow Ritchie Partridge to pull one back with a curling shot beyond Marlon Beresford.

Boro quickly restored their two-goal cushion when Windass turned in a left wing Downing cross from close range.

Three minutes later Boro went 4-1 up when Windass converted a penalty, but the visitors won a spot kick of their own when Beresford was adjudged to have brought down Neil Mellor, the young striker converting the penalty himself before adding the fourth.

Boro: Beresford, Parnaby (Close 80), Gordon, Hudson, Gavin, Cooper, Johnston, Debeve, Windass, Marinelli, Downing. Subs (not used) Dove, Gulliver, Smith, Jones gk.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.