GARETH Southgate believes Stewart Downing's World Cup experience can help secure a regular place in the England starting XI.

The Middlesbrough manager revealed he has been greatly impressed with the attitude and maturity of his young charge - selected yesterday in Steve McClaren's first international squad for the friendly against Greece on August 16 - since he returned to pre-season training.

And Southgate added he is confident that not only will England feel the benefit from winger's experience in Germany but his hometown club.

"I have been very impressed with Stewart since he has come back from the World Cup," admitted Southgate prior to Boro's friendly against Italian Serie A side Chievo at the Riverside this afternoon.

"He seems to have come back with an added maturity about him in the matches that we have had.

"He has developed enormously over the last year or so, and clearly the experience of being away with England this summer has benefited him in terms of his qualities, in terms of him thinking about the game, and I imagine more than anything, confidence.

"He's been involved in the greatest show on earth if you like and played a part.

"It's not until you play in the World Cup that you can actually believe you can play at that level. It gives you great confidence to come back and play at club level. I'm delighted the way he's been since he came back."

The former Boro skipper also backed Downing to raise his game to another level after experiencing a difficult 2005/06 campaign ravaged by injury.

"I think he'll improve even more next season and we have to create an environment for him to do that," added the Boro boss.

"He's doing everything to do that. He's in the England squad, which is great news for him and we hope he can stake a claim for a regular place."

With Southgate taking a step back on to the sidelines as the manager the Middlesbrough side has an even more younger look about it than it did last season.

But Southgate is confident his fledglings will continue to fly and backed Downing to become a mentor to his more inexperienced colleagues, despite having the tender age of 22 stamped on his passport.

"We played at Heerenveen the other night and I said to him 'have a look around the dressing room because you're one of the senior players in the side'.

"He needed to check twice but he was. But he has assumed that responsibility and I'm delighted with his approach and his attitude."

Downing greeted his inclusion in the England squad to face Greece at Old Trafford with delight and revealed at the same time that he didn't want his World Cup experience to end.

"It was fantastic. The games and atmosphere were brilliant. It was just a shame we couldn't go on to do better," said Downing who made two substitute appearances in Germany.

"I would like a start now. I've been on the bench a couple of times so hopefully I can get an opportunity and take it."

Boro hope to add two new recruits to the squad before they face Reading in next weekend's Premiership curtain raiser.

Southgate last night insisted that Yakubu, his Nigerian striker, was not for sale and says he is more happy with his current strikeforce.

"I think it would be folly to lose a striker, who scored 19 goals for us last season, a week before the season starts," said Southgate.

"We've got Mark (Viduka), Massimo (Maccarone) and Malcolm (Christie) is on the way back.

"I feel as if we have to target the places we need improvement and I'm not in the market for a striker. I'll be quite comfortable if we manage to bring in the players that we have targeted. We don't have a bottomless pit here and I'm quite happy with that."

The Teessiders will know by early next week, however, whether they have been successful in landing two of their targets: Manchester City defender Sylvain Distin and Blackburn midfielder Brett Emerton.

Southgate is also hopeful he can take Chelsea's Germany international Robert Huth on a season-long loan.