Ben Gibson believes further improvement from Middlesbrough will result in promotion, after they fell 2-0 to Norwich City in the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final.
Boro bettered their 12th-place finish of 2013/14 to end this term fourth and, after seeing off Brentford over two legs, made an appearance in Monday's Play-Off Final.But Norwich put paid to their Premier League aspirations at Wembley, for the time being at least, although defender Gibson believes top-flight promotion can be won with progression in 2015/16.
“We’re distraught. We didn’t really do ourselves justice and it’s a disappointment,” he told Boro's official website.
“But we’ve improved on last year, so we’ve got to try and improve again - and if you do that then you’re in the Premier League.
“We’re devastated, you saw how good the fans were – they were unbelievable.
“Believe me, it means as much to me and any one of the players as them, and we’re as distraught and devastated as they are. It’s not easy, but we’ll have the summer and move on.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. All of us, not just as individuals but as a team – it will make us a better team and better people and 100 percent it will make us stronger.”