Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has backed the club's goalkeepers to step into the limelight following the departure of Mark Schwarzer.

The long-serving Australian quit the Riverside for Fulham in June but the Boro boss is confident Brad Jones and Ross Turnbull can fill the void.

"Ross [Turnbull] had 30 games at Crewe and Brad [Jones] is an Australian international," he told BBC Tees.

"I haven't seen a goalkeeper available who is better than the two we have."

Southgate was at the BBC Tees studios for a fans phone-in with new presenter and commentator Alastair Brownlee.

The 37-year-old tackled a range of subjects, including his hopes for the future, and admitted he is targeting nothing less than European football as a long-term aim.

"We have a long-term vision of where we want to push to and it takes time, but I certainly feel we have a strong base to build on," he said.

"Your long-term target has to be the Champions League, the only limits you put on yourself are your own beliefs.

"I'm not going to say we're going to be in the Champions League next year but we proved our form toward the end of the season was top 10 form.

"We've had Premier League stability now and how do we progress? I'm here because it's something I'm trying to build."