Gareth Southgate has urged Afonso Alves to keep working hard after he was booed off against Bolton.
Striker told to keep working hard by Boro boss
Gareth Southgate has urged Afonso Alves to keep working hard after the Middlesbrough striker was booed off against Bolton Wanderers.
Brazil international Alves has struggled to justify the £12million fee Boro paid to bring him to the Premier League from Heerenveen in January.
He has scored just three goals in 14 league appearances this season and again toiled in Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Bolton.
Alves' shooting from a couple of free-kicks was wayward and eventually led to his withdrawal 15 minutes from time.
Southgate admits it was the right decision to take Alves out of the firing line, but he believes the 27-year-old can rise to the challenge of scoring goals in English football.
"He's just got to keep working hard on the training field and do the things that have got him the goals in the past," said the Boro boss.
"I thought his head dropped a little bit and it was probably the right thing to bring him off.
"It's a very different league for him and a very different challenge. It's physically much tougher and Bolton are a strong, physical team."
