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Middlesbrough captain Ben Gibson proud to receive England call

England's defender Ben Gibson (C) warms up ahead of the World Cup Qualifier against Lithuania
Image: England defender Ben Gibson warms up ahead of the World Cup Qualifier against Lithuania

Middlesbrough captain Ben Gibson has spoken of his pride after earning his first senior England call-up for Sunday's 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania.

Gibson revealed he had been set to enjoy a short break with his girlfriend when he got the call from Gareth Southgate to join the squad after an injury to Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling.

"It has all been a bit of a whirlwind - I had just got my boarding passes printed for a short trip to Majorca with my girlfriend when I got the call on Friday lunchtime," Gibson told the BBC.

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"The trip had to be put on hold and I couldn't get down [to Wembley] quickly enough."

Gibson, who has been a key performer in the Boro defence this season despite their slide into the relegation zone, was an unused substitute in the Wembley win.

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"To be called up to represent your country, to be a part of it, is such a proud moment, not just for me - for my family who go everywhere with me," he added.

"It's something you dream of growing up and it was a privilege to be there."

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