Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka keen to keep bust-ups behind closed doors after Victor Valdes confronted Adam Clayton

AITOR KARANKA has urged his squabbling stars to keep their bust-ups behind closed doors.

Keeper Victor Valdes sprinted to confront midfielder Adam Clayton during the first half of Middlesbrough’s defeat to Tottenham last Saturday.

Reuters

PA:Press Association

And while Karanka did not actually mind the slanging match, he would rather it was not caught on camera.

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Ham, the Boro boss said: “Always it’s positive to argue with your team-mates when you are a leader and when you want to win the games.

“The only thing is that it wasn’t the place.

“We have a lot of time here at the training ground.

"And we have time in the changing room at the stadium, so I don't think it's good for anybody to argue on the pitch.

"But again, both of them showed that they were characters.

"That's the kind of thing I want in the team because I can't be on the pitch, so I need some leaders on the pitch.

"They know they made a mistake. But we showed that everybody on the pitch wants to win the games."