Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga has claimed he never felt any pressure during his recent goalless run, because he always knew his wait for a goal would come to an end sooner rather than later.

Having scored 16 goals in all competitions for a 'Boro side that otherwise struggled in front of goal last season, Assombalonga had scored four goals in the early stages of the current campaign, before coming in for some criticism following a run of five league games without a goal as Jonathan Woodgate's slipped into the relegation zone.

Assombalonga did however put an end to his own poor individual run in the final game before the November international break, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw at QPR, something it seems the striker himself was always confident would happen.

Speaking to the Hartlepool Mail, Assombalonga admitted that scoring drought did not worry him due to his past experiences, as he admitted: “This has happened before.

“It’s not a one-off thing, it happens for every striker. You just have to keep going.

"Eventually it’s going to click, and then you’ll go on a run of scoring again and everyone will forget about the time when you had a chance and missed."

Indeed, Assombalonga's previous goalscoring returns appear to have helped him maintain his confidence during his recent difficult run, as he added: “I’ve got a good record, and that’s why you can’t dwell on the little droughts.

"You’ll keep having those droughts through your career, but you know that the storm is going to pass someday.”

Assombalonga - who is currently on international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo - and Middlesbrough will return to action after the international break on Sunday, when they host Hull City at the Riverside Stadium.

The Verdict

Regardless of what Assombalonga says, this will be a big relief for Middlesbrough.

Things haven't been going well for Jonathan Woodgate's side in any sense recently, so they are in need of someone who can come up with those crucial goals to help get them out of trouble in games.

When you look at his record in comparison to the rest of those in the 'Boro side, it does seem as though Assombalonga is the man they need to step to do just that for them.

As a result, that momentum that Assombalonga has picked up with that double against QPR, is something that Middlesbrough must look to build on in order to get out of what is a somewhat difficult season they currently find themselves in.