Former Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson is set to return to club to train with Jonathan Woodgate’s side, with the 27-year-old having had a recent disagreement with his parent club Burnley, according to the Daily Mail.

Gibson left Middlesbrough for Burnley in the summer of 2018, but the defender has struggled to establish himself in the Lancashire club’s first team, making just one appearance in the Premier League for Sean Dyche’s side since he arrived at Turf Moor.

It is thought that Gibson has been involved in a disagreement between himself and Burnley’s coaching staff, following recent discussions with the player over his performance in a training session, which had led to suggestions he could be forced to train with the club’s under-23s.

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However, it is now thought that Burnley have decided that Gibson will be allowed to train away from the club with Middlesbrough in the near future, which will see the 27-year-old return to Boro who had been linked with a potential move to bring him back to the Riverside in the January transfer window.

The verdict

This is a surprising turn of events for Gibson, who despite struggling to secure regular game time during his time at Burnley had always been involved in and around their squad over the last season-and-a-half, but it now appears as though his situation at Turf Moor has taken a turn for the worse.

Gibson is a player who will always be welcome at Middlesbrough, having delivered some excellent performances for Boro consistently during his time with the club, with those displays earning him recognition at international level and being enough to convince Burnley to make a move for him in 2018.

However, Gibson’s move to Burnley has not worked out at all for the defender, and the 27-year-old will surely be questioning his long-term future following this latest development, but for now he will be focused on maintaining his fitness with Middlesbrough.

Gibson’s presence around the training ground could actually be a positive for Middlesbrough, as Woodgate looks to get his side back on track following a dip in form over the last few weeks, and it will be interesting to see what happens with the defender’s future in the summer.