GEORGE Boateng has told Middlesbrough team-mate Massimo Maccarone he needs to "get tough" if he is to succeed in the Premiership.

Maccarone was a last-minute addition to the Boro squad that is currently playing in a four-team tournament on the Algarve after his proposed loan move to Italian side Siena collapsed.

The striker has failed to make much of an impression on Teesside despite making a record-breaking £8.15m move from Empoli in July 2002.

His 64 senior appearances have brought just 16 goals and Boro had been hoping to move him on permanently this summer following the recent recruitment of Nigeria international Aiyegbeni Yakubu.

That has not happened though and, unless Siena return to the negotiating table next month and agree to pay all of his wages, Maccarone will be expected to fight for his place in Steve McClaren's side next term.

Boateng believes Maccarone has the ability to prove himself in the Premiership. But after spending seven-and-a-half seasons at Coventry, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, the Dutch international has warned the striker he needs to learn how to handle the harsh physical demands of the English game.

"When Massimo arrived he was just not physically equipped to deal with the demands of the Premiership," said Boateng. "He is a great footballer but, in England, you have to cope with the physical pressures too.

"There are a lot of games, a lot of tough tackles, and you get some pretty rough treatment from a lot of defenders. He improved a lot later in his spell here but he didn't get off to a great start.

"So that's what Massimo has really got to work on if he's going to be a success in this league. I'm sure that he will have worked a lot in Italy and come back a better player."

Maccarone is not the only player to have made a surprise return to the Riverside as goalkeeper Ross Turnbull was back on Teesside yesterday following the collapse of his proposed loan move to Oldham.

Latics' boss Ronnie Moore had been hoping to sign the 20-year-old for the whole of the season but Boro were only willing to release him for three months and ruled him out of any action at all in the Carling Cup.

* England surrendered a first-half lead to lose 3-1 against France in the European Under-19 Championship final last night.

The French produced a more mature overall performance than their English counterparts and capitalised on poor marking as Mohamed Chakouri cancelled out Lee Holmes' deflected opener before taking a deserved lead through Abdoulaye Balde.

With three minutes remaining, Yohan Gouffran sealed the win with an impressive long-range strike.

Influential striker Matt Fryatt, whose hat-trick in the semi-final against Serbia and Montenegro secured England's place in the final with a 3-1 victory, failed to make any impact at a wet Windsor Park in Belfast and was withdrawn in the second half.

France enjoyed a few early half-chances and England goalkeeper David Martin was forced into the first save of the match when he dived to his right to catch an attempted clearance by team-mate Fryatt which looked goalbound.

A cross from left-back Andrew Taylor was laid off for Grant Leadbitter by Boro's James Morrison but the Sunderland youngster dragged his shot wide. At the other end Martin made another save, tipping Yohan Cabaye's skidding effort out for a corner.

England's misery was complete in added time when Leadbitter was sent off after conceding a second booking

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