FLYING Dutch forward Marvin Emnes has been tipped for an exciting future after at last breaking into the Boro starting line-up.

Emnes joined Boro from Sparta Rotterdam last July in a four million euro deal but despite being a regular on the bench, he did not begin a Premier League game until last Monday's defeat at Newcastle.

He twice came desperately close to scoring and produced an energetic performance on a disappointing night at St James' and he will be hoping to keep his place for today's visit of Aston Villa.

"I thought he did well, his pace was a threat, his movement was good and he's a tough kid, he can stand up to the physical side of things," said Southgate.

"He's strengthened up as the season has gone on but it's been in my mind for a couple of weeks to give him a run."

Last season Emnes, finished with an electrifying run of form that saw him hit eight goals in his last ten games as he took Sparta's Player of the Year award in his breakthrough season.

Bu Southgate said it was always his plan to nurture the youngster gradually rather than throwing his straight into the first team picture.

"We signed him as a young player for the future," he explained.

"When he came he was used to playing in a system in Holland with three forwards and he was on the left of the three.

"We tried to adapt him to a wide midfield role and our feeling is now that he would be best playing as a striker.

"He's not had as many games as he would have liked but when you're in a difficult time, you tend to turn to experience.

"He's plugged away at it and in the last six to eight weeks he's looked stronger and he's caught the eye with his training, and as a manager that's what you want."

Asked whether the breakthrough had taken longer expected, Southgate said: "Not really, we thought this would be the sort of season it has been for him.

"When you don't have a vast amount to spend in the summer and you bring in three players and one of them doesn't play so much, people ask questions.

"The reality is we were hoping to bring a couple more in.

"But his development has been as we would have expected. He's got a good goalscoring record in Holland and I've seen enough of him this year to think he's got an exciting future."

Meanwhile, Southgate says he has continued to learn from his experiences during what has been, for the most part, a bleak season.

"You'd be mad if you hadn't learnt lessons along the way. There are clearly numerous reasons for a team to be in the position that we're in.

"I know exactly what I want to change and will change. There are methods in the way we work that we will change.

"There will be changes for next season whichever division we're in."