Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has joked that he would warn England boss Sam Allardyce off Ben Gibson as he looks for a new generation of international players.
Boro defender Gibson, 23, has impressed at the start of his first season of Premier League football, sparking speculation that Allardyce will call him into his next squad.
Karanka has been delighted with the former England under-21 international's progress during his time at the club, but is wary of the demands a senior international career could place on him.
Asked what he would tell Allardyce if he called him about Gibson, Karanka replied with a smile: "Everything -- that he's a bad player, a bad person.