Middlesbrough will have to strengthen their squad in the summer if they are to have a chance of competing for a place in the Premier League this season.

That's according to the club's former striker Dean Windass, who has been speaking exclusively to Football League World about the club's chances of returning to the top-flight in the not too distant future.

It looks certain that 'Boro will miss out on a place in the play-offs this season, with the club currently 14 points adrift of the top-six with just five games still to play.

But while Windass has been impressed with the job done by Neil Warnock, it seems the former Middlesbrough man feels the 'Boro boss does not have enough in the playing squad to get the club back to the top-flight.

Giving his assessment of Middlesbrough's current situation, Windass said: "He's (Warnock) done a fantastic job again, nobody can ever criticise his management. But looking at that Middlesbrough team are they good enough to get out of the Championship at the minute? No.

"I know that Neil's recruited a few people and that but you know, you need top players to get all that out of the Championship.

"I look at that squad and I look at that team And you can't see him get them up getting out of it really. Listen, they’ve had a fantastic season, and Neil he’ll be happy but he’ll be absolutely gutted that he can't get in the playoffs."

Indeed, it seems Windass believes that the players available for the likes of runaway league leaders Norwich have left clubs such as Middlesbrough rather playing catch-up in the race for promotion, as he went on to add: "But I just think they need to recruit, you know, top players to get out the Championship and look at Norwich where they've not really lost anybody since they went down.

"That's a massive difference. Experienced, good players. You need that in the Championship.

"You need experience need good characters in the changing room."

Next up for Middlesbrough as they approach the final stages of the campaign, is the visit of QPR to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.