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Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate insists Marlon King can win a permanent move to the club if he impresses while on loan.
The experienced hit-man is currently on loan at The Riverside for the remainder of the season from Wigan after his loan switch to Hull City was cut short.
King bagged an important late leveller against Portsmouth last week, although he could not find the back of the net on Saturday as Boro lost 1-0 to relegation rivals Stoke City.
"He's got the opportunity that if he does well for us he can be here next year and either way he's in the shop window as well," stated Southgate.
Important
"He's a chirpy character and his first goal for us against Portsmouth shows the rest of the team what you can do and shows the supporters that you're important.
"There are a lot of incentives for him to keep performing. He's desperate to prove a point. He can add an experienced voice in the dressing room."
Meanwhile, Boro's defeat at The Britannia Stadium has left the north east outfit four points adrift of fourth from bottom Blackburn and Southgate insists they must start winning games and fast.
"We have got to go on a run of wins home and away. That was one of the reasons we changed the system; our away form was so poor I thought it would give them something different to focus on and I thought it did," he concluded.
"We are not scoring enough. We certainly had a couple of good chances to win it and haven't taken them. In football you have to take your chances."
The experienced hit-man is currently on loan at The Riverside for the remainder of the season from Wigan after his loan switch to Hull City was cut short.
King bagged an important late leveller against Portsmouth last week, although he could not find the back of the net on Saturday as Boro lost 1-0 to relegation rivals Stoke City.
"He's got the opportunity that if he does well for us he can be here next year and either way he's in the shop window as well," stated Southgate.
Important
"He's a chirpy character and his first goal for us against Portsmouth shows the rest of the team what you can do and shows the supporters that you're important.
"There are a lot of incentives for him to keep performing. He's desperate to prove a point. He can add an experienced voice in the dressing room."
Meanwhile, Boro's defeat at The Britannia Stadium has left the north east outfit four points adrift of fourth from bottom Blackburn and Southgate insists they must start winning games and fast.
"We have got to go on a run of wins home and away. That was one of the reasons we changed the system; our away form was so poor I thought it would give them something different to focus on and I thought it did," he concluded.
"We are not scoring enough. We certainly had a couple of good chances to win it and haven't taken them. In football you have to take your chances."
