MICHAEL CARRICK has backed Sam Greenwood to build on his impressive midweek showing and have a "big impact" for Middlesbrough in the coming months.
Greenwood made his first start for Boro against Cardiff City on Tuesday night and caught the eye, with the 21-year-old hoping he did enough to keep his place in the team to face his former club Sunderland tomorrow.
Carrick must decide whether to stick with Greenwood or recall Matt Crooks, but regardless of who gets the nod at the Stadium of Light, Boro's head coach has seen enough from the Leeds United loanee to be convinced he can be a big player this season.
“Sam has done great since he’s been here," said Carrick.
"He’s still getting up to speed a little bit because he had a bit of an injury in pre-season. He hadn’t played a lot of games, so we knew we had to build him up a little bit. He’s an important part of our group and we’ve got some really good options across that front line.
"I was really pleased with how he played on Tuesday and I think you could see the more it went on and he got into the game, he found his rhythm and found his flow. The longer the game went the better he got.
"Sometimes it can take a little time to develop the connections with new team-mates. Training is obviously a part of building that, but minutes on the pitch can’t be replicated. There were good signs for Sam, and I’m sure he’ll have a big impact for us in the games, weeks and months ahead."
READ MORE:
- Encouraging injury update on defender as Boro take precautions against illness
- Boro's Sam Greenwood makes family loyalties clear ahead of first Sunderland return
- Boro's Lewis O'Brien facing long spell on sidelines with fracture & surgery confirmed
Greenwood wasn't the only summer signing to impress in midweek, with Lukas Engel starring after a tough start on Teesside and Emmanuel Latte Lath getting a goal from the bench.
Carrick said: "Of course results at the start of the season weren't what we hoped for or expected but it was nothing to do with the new signings by any stretch. It was just about finding our way, finding our form, finding our rhythm.
"It's great that the boys have had a good week. The squad is getting stronger, we're improving, developing and definitely getting better as a team and a squad.
"It was really encouraging. I was pleased for them boys because it was a step forward for them and there's more to come."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here