Ben Gibson has become ‘Mr Nasty’ to force his way into Norwich City’s Championship play-off charge.

The experienced defender returns to hometown club Middlesbrough on Wednesday as a key figure in the Canaries’ backline, following a testing season on and off the pitch.

Gibson spoke movingly about the birth of his premature daughter recently, but the 31-year-old was a stand out in the weekend’s 1-0 home win over Sunderland.

City chief David Wagner believes he is now looking like the full package, after demanding more physicality from the ball-playing centre back.

“In recent weeks, or the last month, he has shown maybe a different style to his game - very aggressive, very front-foot defending, very brave, to not give the opponent a breather,” said the German. “Rather than only this ball-playing centre half everyone is speaking about.

"He added something different maybe to his game; this nastiness, this aggression, which you like to have from a centre half especially if you like to be a front-foot defending team, which is what we like to be.

“He has adapted extremely well in recent weeks. He deserves all the credit and the praise which he gets for this new style, or adaptation, which he brought into his game. Still space for improvement, not a shadow of a doubt, but he made some big steps.

“To be fair we ask this from all our centre halves. This is, for example, why in our idea Kenny McLean or (Jacob) ‘Lunghi’ Sorensen is able to play centre half as well, because on one side they can handle the ball but they are brave enough to step into midfield, if needed, and not to give an opponent the chance to turn.

"This is exactly what our centre halves get asked to do, and why we are happy to have these centre halves in our squad.”

The versatile McLean was unable to train prior to Sunderland due to stiffness in his back, but Wagner delivered a more upbeat bulletin on Monday afternoon at Colney ahead of a midweek Teesside test.

“Nearly back to normal I would say,” he said. “We think he will be fine for this game. No further concerns. Nacho (Marcelino Nunez) we will make a late call on him. We are super confident that he will be ready for Rotherham but a doubt for the Boro matchday squad.”

Nunez sat out the 1-0 Sunderland home win with a hip issue.

Wagner also provided an update on Onel Hernandez’s season-ending foot injury, after undergoing a procedure on Friday.

“Luckily he didn't need a surgery. The wound only got washed, and obviously with a few stitches closed as well, but no further surgery,” he said, after the Cuban suffered the injury in training. “That was the discussion if he needed some plates or screws in his foot but luckily they don't have to do it.

"That doesn't mean the time frame will be any shorter. We expect 10 to 12 weeks until he is available again, which means the season is over.”