STEWART DOWNING wants to use his loan spell at Sunderland to help him muscle Holland star Boudewijn Zenden out of the Middlesbrough team.

Downing, 19, became reconciled to the prospect of having to leave Boro on loan to find regular first-team action at the start of the season when Steve McClaren snapped up Zenden from Chelsea.

But now, having made a sparkling start to his Sunderland career against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, Downing is determined to prove he is worth a place in the left-sided midfield role that Zenden is currently holding down at the Riverside.

His second chance to impress comes tonight in Sunderland's rearranged game at Gillingham and said: "I have mixed feelings when people like Zenden sign for Middlesbrough. Obviously, you can learn off players like that, but it limits my chances of getting in the team.

"In the summer, when Zenden wasn't at Middlesbrough and when there was just Jonathan Greening who played on the left, I thought I might get a chance there.

"But then Zenden came and I moved further down the pecking order. But I'm a Middlesbrough lad and a Middlesbrough supporter, and I want to play for them.

"At the moment, the loan is for a month, so hopefully I'll get some games under my belt, do well and then get a chance at Middlesbrough after that.

"Left midfield is the position I've played in for most of my life, so that's where I want to stay.

"Steve McClaren asked me a couple of weeks ago about going to Sunderland and I jumped at the chance.

"I've been to a lot of training grounds and the best I've seen are at Middlesbrough and Sunderland.

"This feels like a Premiership club; it's a great team and a good set-up with a good manager.

"Mick McCarthy has just said I'm here for a month, but the situation may change."

Sunderland manager McCarthy was delighted with how Downing made a seamless transition from reserve team football to the challenge of facing one of the First Division's promotion favourites.

He acknowledges that the teenager may play himself into the first-team reckoning at Boro while on Wearside, but is content to have him at Sunderland until the end of this month.

McCarthy said: "One of the perils of the loan system is he might do well and be wanted by Middlesbrough, but I'd sooner be sick to lose him than have a proper plonker who I'm glad to get shut of.

"That's the beauty of having a young, ambitious lad who wants to do well, and he did exceptionally well on Saturday."

McCarthy has warned Downing and his Sunderland teammates that Gillingham will provide a stiff examination of their promotion credentials tonight.

The Gills dented Ipswich Town's Premiership hopes with a fine 4-3 win on Saturday and McCarthy anticipates a closely-fought encounter.

He said: "Gillingham have had some good results against the bigger clubs in the past and they did well at the weekend.

"Gillingham will be fighting for everything and it will be a very difficult game. It won't be like the game we had at West Brom, where we had all the ball.

"Teams that are playing as well as we are often say they'll give somebody a tonking. It might happen, but I think this will be a very tight game. Gillingham is a tough place to get something from."

McCarthy is set to keep faith with the side that started Saturday's game at the Priestfield Stadium.

* Sunderland's home League match with Wigan Athletic has been rearranged for Tuesday, December 2, kick-off 8pm.

* Darren Williams is facing a police probe after he kicked a ball into the crowd at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, concussing a woman. West Midlands Police have confirmed they have requested a video of the incident that left a woman in her 20s needing hospital treatment.

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