Kim Hellberg has once again been asked about the lack of game time for Connor Barron and Leo Castledine

Kim Hellberg has told Connor Barron and Leo Castledine to keep going and stay ready, because you never know when the next opportunity might come.

Both Barron and Castledine have struggled for game time at Middlesbrough so far this season, with competition ramped up after a busy summer transfer window.

Barron’s game time, or lack thereof has been a particular talking point, with the Rangers loaner still yet to make his Boro debut, after joining the club on transfer deadline day.

Rangers legend Barry Ferguson has even questioned why Boro signed the midfielder if they weren't going to play him, and said the Scottish giants will have to recall him in January if his situation does not change.

But asked about their game time in the aftermath of questions over his team selection tinkering and rotation, Hellberg was clear in his message to the duo, and any Boro player not starting as often as they'd like.

Hellberg said: “My job is not to give people things or be kind. You have to measure things all the time. Sometimes it's down to competition, sometimes it's down to the performance, how they train and all those things.

Make sure you never miss the latest Middlesbrough news and opinion by making Teesside Live one of your Google preferred sources.

"For both Connor and Leo, they've done a lot of good things lately on the training ground and sometimes for a player it can be down to a little bit of luck.

"Both of them are doing everything they can on the ground. That's sometimes the balance as a coach, I should rest people and I should not rest people, they should come in and they should not come in.

"For everyone, the message is just to keep going. The chance will come if you work hard and the difficult thing for players when you don't get the minutes is to keep working hard.

"Both Leo and Connor are exceptional in that, and that is important because their chance [of playing] goes up. Then you need to be ready. Look at last season, Gilbert wasn't even close but he gets that chance and did very good things. Now it's the same thing.

There was no-one thinking Neto should play a game here and now look at him. It's important, in tough times, to keep working and take your chance when you get it.”