MIDDLESBROUGH forward Marcus Browne has stepped up his rehabilitation from a long term knee injury by training out on the grass pitches at Rockliffe.

The 23-year-old has been battling back from damage to his cruciate ligament he sustained in Boro's FA Cup defeat to Brentford back in January. Those types of injury can take anywhere between six months to a year to properly recover. 

In the latest step of his recovery, Browne is now out on the grass pitch at Rockliffe training on his own as he gets used to running on the surface and puts the knee through it's paces. 

Thr forward expressed his delight on his own personal Instagram account saying: "Wow what a feeling!

"Finally the fun side of rehab… if there is a fun side of rehab.

"Been a long 7 months out… still a little while to go yet but grateful nonetheless to be able to get out on the grass.

"Thank you for all your kind messages and support up to this point they haven’t gone unnoticed. I’ll keep grafting and dancing day in day out until I’m back and able to help the team. UTB"

Browne has suffered a stop start injury hit spell on Teesside since signing in the summer of 2019 from West Ham Unite along with a half season loan spell at Oxford United. 

In total, the former Hammer has made 18 league apperances, with 12 of those coming off the bench whilst he's found the net twice in a Boro shirt. 

Browne will add to Neil Warnock's options in the forward areas. Andraz Sporar, Isaiah Jones, Matt Crooks and Uche Ikpeazu are Boro's current plethora of available attackers.