The Teessiders have blooded a series of academy graduates in the first-team in recent years and have seen Stewart Downing and David Wheater recognised at senior international level by England.

Southgate this week unveiled Dutch striker Marvin Emnes and French midfielder Didier Digard as his first two summer signings for a combined £7.2million.

However, while he promised Boro's scouting network would continue to scour the globe for promising young talent - Emnes is 20 and Digard turns 22 tomorrow - the manager is adamant local lads will still prosper if they prove their worth.

Southgate said: "It's important for us to keep the academy going. We have had fantastic success both in terms on getting players into the first-team and in the last couple of years, moving players on, which has brought revenue into the club.

"I firmly believe we have got the best academy in the country and it is important for us that we keep that going.

"The challenge is greater and greater for young English players now because clubs will recruit from around the world, but we hope to give them the best possible chance at our club.

"There is a balance to be struck. The club has to have an identity and it is important that we kept some of our better young players last year and signed them to new contracts, the likes of Stewart Downing and David Wheater.

"If the core of your side has that affinity with the club over a long period of time, that helps, and it helps the guys coming in to realise what the club stands for.

"But we have to accept that the rest of the league is recruiting from everywhere around the world and we have got to be up to that challenge."

Southgate has significantly reduced the age profile of his squad in the two years since he replaced Steve McClaren at the helm, but is conscious experience will be invaluable to his mission to establish the club in the upper reaches of the Barclays Premier League.

With former captain George Boateng seemingly on his way out of the Riverside Stadium - Boro have agreed a fee with promoted Hull, but the Dutchman is yet to settle personal terms - his wealth of knowledge on and off the pitch will be lost.

However, Southgate insists if a player is good enough, he is old enough.
He said: "You look around the league and Arsenal are a classic case. They had a team last year that was very young.

"Everybody said that when (Thierry) Henry left, they wouldn't achieve anything, and they had a fantastic season.

"It is about the quality of the players. Experience can help, but it has to be the right sort of experience."