Neil Warnock explains why he sold Aynsley Pears to Blackburn and loaned Stephen Walker to MK Dons

The 22-year-old stopper had fallen down the pecking order at the Riverside and was third choice between the sticks behind Marcus Bettinelli and Dejan Stojanovic.

Pears broke into Boro’s first team last season and made 24 Championship appearances for his hometown club.

Yet Warnock never seemed convinced by the stopper and also believes Boro have another up-and-coming keeper in 19-year-old Sol Brynn.

When asked about Pears following Boro’s goalless draw with Reading, Warnock said: “I think he needed to go (to play) he’s done my head in the last few weeks.

“His agent, his family and everybody else they’ve all got an opinion so let’s see if he can be a number one at Blackburn.

“He’s a good lad, he’s not a bad lad but he just needed a change and I wasn’t prepared to keep him.

“We have a good young lad as well who will come in as number three so I just thought he needed it, he’s been here too long. You can get like that, you need a new challenge.”

Boro also allowed striker Stephen Walker to leave the club this week, with the 20-year-old striker joining League One side MK Dons on a season-long loan.

“I think he needed to go and play because he wasn’t getting much of a look in with us, in training or anything else really,” said Warnock.

“That might have been a mistake but you don’t know, do you.”

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