Teesside-born Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson has called on Boro to bounce back next season after losing the play-off final to Norwich on Monday, an experience he branded "the worst day of my life".

Gibson, nephew of much-loved club chairman Steve, has been one of Aitor Karanka's key players this season, with the 22-year-old linked with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool earlier in the year.

But Boro didn't turn up on the big day and were easily beaten by the excellent Canaries, a result which clearly left boyhood fan Gibson heartbroken on the pitch.

“Nobody can feel lower than I do right now,” he sighed as the yellow and green celebrations began.

“I’m just gutted. I’m devastated for the fans, I’m devastated for us.

“As a fan I know much it means to this town. We wanted to put the pride back in the football club, it’s just devastating.

“I’ve said all week that this would be the best or the worst day of my life and it’s the worst.”

But the England U21 international believes that the experience of coming so close and missing out will spur his team-mates on to improve next season - the year in which manager Karanka was tasked with taking Boro up when he first took charge at the club.

He continued: "We’re fighters, you don’t get to this point in the season without having that steel or grit and we were never going to give in."

“It wasn’t our day but all the players can be proud this season and hold their heads up high.

“The manager said to us that this feeling is awful and it’s something that will destroy us from within right now but we need to use it to come back stronger next year.

“We’ve come a long way and we’ll continue to improve.”

Gibson was also quick to add that whatever pain was felt by the fans would be the same for the chairman, who has bankrolled the club's survival and this season's promotion push.

“Steve will be the same as me, the same as every fan out there,” he stated.

“He’s a fan but he won’t be hurting anymore than me and all the lads right now, everybody is so low.

“But Steve is a winner. He is a clever man and he knows that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and we’ll go again next year.

“That’s football, I’m afraid. We need to come back stronger next season.”