WITH only two league places separating Championship pace-setters Wolves from struggling Middlesbrough, Mick McCarthy’s side have an ideal opportunity to test their top-flight credentials.

But having managed some of the Boro squad, the former Sunderland boss has warned against over-confidence.

“People may be looking at our respective positions in the leagues we are in, but Middlesbrough are a team who’ve been in the Premier League for a long time and have some quality players,” he said.

“Stewart Downing is someone I took on loan to Sunderland at the start of his career and he’s now an England winger. Tuncay is a really good player and then there’s Alves who cost £12million.

“Gary O’Neill is a good Premier League player and so too Julia Arca and Adam Johnson if they feature.

“But it does give us an opposition to gauge ourselves against top flight opposition.”

McCarthy is well-acquainted with relegation battles from his time on Wearside and has backed Gareth Southgate to lift Middlesbrough away from the danger zone.

“I have both sympathy and empathy with Gareth – I know what he’s going through.

“It’s very intense up in that part of the world and it can be difficult when you’re trying to get results. In Gareth’s case they’ve been in the Premier League for a long time whereas for me it was up and then straight down.

“People are losing their jobs with the recession at the moment so you have to have a bit of perspective because we are all paid well for the jobs that we do,” he noted.

“But it’s about personal pride as well. Gareth has been an England player and a top pro – a winner – and when you’ve been like that it becomes hard if you don’t win games.’’