Middlesbrough defender George Friend believes that the club and their supporters deserve to be promoted to the Premier League.

Aitor Karanka's men overcame Brentford in their Championship playoff semi-final to set up a clash against Norwich City at Wembley in the final to earn promotion to the top flight.

Friend is adamant that it would be huge for the club to end their six-year exile from the Premier League.

He told reporters: "It's something I have always wanted to do. When I first came to Middlesbrough everything indicated that this was a Premier League club and then having lived in Teesside it would mean just so much to everybody.

"It's a fantastic place to live, there are great people around here and it would be everyone getting promoted around here, that's for sure. It's a fantastic area that deserves the Premier League."

Boro take on Norwich in the playoff final on Monday.