This article is part of Football League World's 'Regular Punter' series, where we gather original opinions from select, passionate fans of the clubs concerned on matters surrounding their team and share them with a wider audience...

Middlesbrough haven't hit the heights that were expected of them in the Championship this season, with Jonathan Woodgate's side currently sat 20th in the league table heading into the international break.

But the Boro boss will be pleased with what he has seen from one player in particular who has been in action for his county recently.

Paddy McNair netted a brace for Northern Ireland in a hard-fought 3-2 win over Czech Republic on Monday.

Football League World's Middlesbrough fan pundit Phil Wrightson has been impressed with what he has seen from the Northern Irishman so far this season, and feels as though former Boro boss Tony Pulis misused the former Man United prospect.

"Paddy McNair has undoubtedly been Boro’s best player this season with his energy and drive to get forward.

"He has been the man to get his foot on the ball in midfield and try and link in with the strikers and he seems to be one of the only players who have it in him to try and play the style that Woodgate wants to.

"It’s frustrating that Tony Pulis didn’t use him in his preferred central midfield position once last season as I believe with his impact we could have got the one extra win that we missed out on the play-offs on.

"Our squad was stronger last season than this but catastrophically misused as can be seen by the effect Jordan Hugill is having at QPR when he isn’t marooned upfield without support."

McNair has started all eleven league games of Middlesbrough's disappointing league campaign to date, and he'll be hoping to add to his goal tally as the season progresses towards the festive period.

Wrightson added: "It's now a course of playing square pegs in square holes. McNair’s appearance last night will have been familiar to the Boro fans who have watched him this season.

"For that reason I don’t think he needs to play in a more advanced position for us as the role he played for Northern Ireland is similar to the one he plays for us.

The regular punter felt that Woodgate doesn't need to push McNair further forward in the Middlesbrough team anytime soon, and stated that the 24-year-old links the defence to attack in midfield.

"He’s scored a couple of goals from centre-mid and could have had a couple more so he is already contributing at that end of the pitch (he’s our second top scorer tied with own goal on two goals at the moment!).

"If we push him further up the field we lose the link between defence and attack and at the moment he’s enjoying his football so it’s a case of not rocking the boat where McNair, one of the only bright spots for Boro, is concerned."