ONE of the many plus points to come from Middlesbrough's success at Sheffield United for Michael Carrick was a first appearance for Aaron Ramsey.

The Aston Villa loanee looked bright from the bench after being introduced for the final stages at Bramall Lane.

Ramsey had knee surgery in December which delayed his Boro debut, but now the forward is up and running, head coach Carrick is excited to see more of him.

"It's similar to Cam (Cameron Archer) in some ways, he came in and was desperate to get going," said Carrick.

"He had his knee issue that he's overcoming and getting fit so it was nice to get that first one in for him. It wasn't an easy one to come into but he stepped in great, looked at home, smooth, really made a difference when he came on for the for the short spell.

"That's him up and running and he'll be really looking forward to the games ahead."

Boro's front four of Marcus Forss, Chuba Akpom, Riley McGree and Cameron Archer have impressed in recent weeks, but Carrick says Ramsey offers something different to the current first choice quartet.

"That’s a big reason for why we wanted to bring him in," he said.

"He’s got a freshness about him and a really terrific lad. He’s fitting in well with the group and he’s a good lad, no ego, but desperate to learn and confident in what he does.

"I think you saw that last night. I thought he came on last night, slotted in very well and looked comfortable, but at the same point, knew he was part of the team and had a role to play. It was excellent to see."

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Ramsey's fellow Aston Villa loanee Archer scored a brace at Bramall Lane to add to his strike in the win at Cardiff at the weekend.

Carrick said: "You can see how quickly the lads who came in in January have settled. It's not always easy. Coupled with that, Cam is a fantastic talent, he's a good lad willing to learn.

"I've talked about what he brings to us, his cleverness, his sharpness and he loves scoring goals. To see him smiling was fantastic."