Michael Carrick has Middlesbrough ranking above Chelsea and Liverpool thanks to a major shift he has brought to the club. Despite never being one of the top clubs in England, Middlesbrough have always had a strong academy. The youth system in place on Teesside has seen some truly top-class players emerge in the North East over the years. Stewart Downing is perhaps Middlesbrough’s best academy graduate of all time. He was part of Boro’s most successful period in the 2000s when they won the League Cup and reached the UEFA Cup final. Downing went on to become a regular starter for the England nat…
