Middlesbrough's 1-1 draw with Birmingham City brought an unlikely hero to the fore.

Despite a scrappy first half which saw former Boro boy Lukas Jutkiewicz give the Blues the lead, a smart goal from the Teessiders drew the game level late in the second half.

While it was Ashley Fletcher who slotted the ball home with a neat backheel, it was Marvin Johnson who created the goal with some excellent play down the left flank.

However after crunching the numbers it wasn't just an assist which made it a good night for the 29-year-old.

We took to Wyscout to look at why Johnson's display was a sign of improvement from the winger.

Marvin Johnson has come in for a bit of criticism so far this term, but perhaps that's been unwarranted.

The 29-year-old has often been used out of position after being retrained as a left wing-back - a position with much more responsibility than his usual position as an out-and-out left winger.

The season has season Johnson make some crucial mistakes so far, but his performance against Birmingham City was perhaps a sign that he is in fact capable of putting in an effective display in the defensive role.

Johnson was on the pitch for 98 minutes as a series of stoppages forced the game into some lengthy period of injury time.

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We've already discussed the one assist that he picked up as he teed up Ashley Fletcher, but his display was about so much more than that.

The wing-back had a pass accuracy percentage of 82%, while his crosses had an accuracy rate of 83% - showing just how clinical he was on the ball.

However it was his defensive stats which really caught the eye.

Johnson achieved a staggering 11 recoveries while also winning an impressive six defensive duels against the Blues.

If he can keep those numbers up then there's no reason why he can't challenge Hayden Coulson for the full-back jersey in the long run.