AFTER an appearance at the Emirates Stadium, Andrew Taylor is gearing up to face leaders Manchester United, with such occasions acting as motivational tools in Middlesbrough’s fight to stay in the Premier League.

While most could wince at being handed top four fixtures at such a crucial stage of the season, Taylor feels that taking on two of the world’s best teams has helped to remind the squad just what staying in the top-flight means.

Rather than a trip to London Road to face Peterborough United next season, the England Under-21 left-back is determined to secure a return date at the Emirates.

But, while facing the likes of Arsenal and United is something none of the players want to relinquish, Taylor has also warned that relegation would not be automatically followed by a promotion push.

“This run in doesn’t get any easier but that’s why we want to be in the Premier League, to face the best,”

said Taylor. “It was really hard at Arsenal but we want to be back at the Emirates.

“Before the game we walked out onto the pitch saying ‘we want to be having this experience next season’.

We are playing at some of the best stadiums in the world and as a young footballer it’s where you want to be.

“Sometimes you don’t realise just how good we have got it in the Premier League. The facilities, the stadiums and atmospheres are exceptional.

“Some of the lads who have played in the Championship have said ‘you don’t want to be playing in there, it’s not as easy as you might think’.

“There are people who think that it will be easy to come straight back up, but everyone fights down there and it will not be easy. We have to stay up.”

Having equalled a 98-year club record of ten successive league defeats in g o i n g d o w n at Arsenal, i t would be easy to presume that confidence is at an all-time low in the dressing room.

Taylor, however, insists that is far from the truth, claiming there is the belief that Boro can claim the required points from the remaining four matches to stay in the top tier.

“There definitely is confidence,”

said the 22-year-old. “We are in this position, everyone is writing us off, and we have been just trying to do it for ourselves and stay up.

“We have to keep our heads down, get three wins and get the results and hopefully we will stay up.

“It is difficult – we know that. We are only four points off Sunderland, three off Hull and anything can happen in the last four games. There are six teams and two places for relegation. It’s all to play for.

“We know that we could still lose to United and win the last three to stay up.’’