Ashley Fletcher is hoping to use his relegation experience with Sunderland to help Middlesbrough this season.

The 24-year-old spent six months at the Stadium Of Light after joining in 2018 - the season in which the Black Cats suffered a shock relegation from the Championship to League One.

Fletcher - along with the rest of the Sunderland squad - suffered plenty of criticism for their parts in the Wearsiders' downfall but the striker has bounced back to resurrect his career with Middlesbrough.

He might not be a prolific striker, but Fletcher has been forced into being one of the senior heads in Jonathan Woodgate's squad as injuries take their toll.

But speaking to Teesside Live, he says that there's several key differences between the Middlesbrough dressing room and that which saw Sunderland relegated in 2018.

He said: “At Sunderland there was no getting away from it, it was so tough and off-field problems weren't helping.

“There was uncertainty with players whereas with us here everyone is pulling in the same direction and everyone wants to get out of this problem.

"Obviously, it's not nice being relegated and I never wanted to go there and for that to happen.

“But I learned a lot about myself and how to cope with disappointment in football because I'd never really had it until then.

“That's when I turned into a man in a way, I had to take a lot of criticism, which was fair. You get criticism right through your life and right through your career and now I know how to deal with it.”

Fletcher added: “I'm (only) 24 and we've got so many young players at the minute and I'm having to take on that responsibility.

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In terms of the matchday squad, there's me, Britt (Assombalonga), George Friend, Dani (Ayala), Darren (Randolph) - when he's playing as well.

“I like having that ownership, I like having that responsibility and I like helping young players because I was one.

“I see the likes of Stephen Walker, Ty O'Neill, Nathan Wood on the bench every week it's fantastic for Middlesbrough, it's fantastic for a young lad coming through in his hometown and we can just help them from past experience and hope we get out of this mess."

The verdict

While Middlesbrough may not have the same off-field issues as Sunderland, it'd be naive to think that the Teessiders are not in trouble.

A torrid start to the season has got alarm bells ringing, and unless results improve then Jonathan Woodgate's side will be in a relegation battle.