HE scooped the Player of the Year award at Swindon Town last season and is impressing this term at Leyton Orient - Middlesbrough have a "future Premier League goalkeeper" on their hands in Sol Brynn, reckons the player's agent, Ian Harte.

Brynn caught the eye in League Two last season and after signing a new contract at Boro in the summer, headed out on another temporary move, this time stepping up to the third tier with Orient.

And the 23-year-old has continued his impressive progress, keeping 13 clean sheets in 36 outings for Richie Wellens' side, who are five points adrift of the play-off places.

Brynn, who has two years left on his deal at the Riverside at the end of this season, has a tough job on his hands to force his way into Michael Carrick's first team, with Boro having signed Seny Dieng and Tom Glover last year, but Harte says the Teessider will return this summer desperate to impress the head coach and his backroom team.

"Sol is a top, top goalkeeper," says Harte.

"Last year he got Player of the Season at Swindon, this season he's been outstanding at Leyton Orient.

"He has 13 clean sheets this season. He's done League Two, he's done League One now, hopefully he can finish this season on a high, come back and impress the manager. That's his main focus and goal.

"He's Boro through and through. He wants to come in and help that team. His main goal is to finish the season on a high, come back in pre-season ready to smash it and challenge to be the No.1."

READ MORE:

Goalkeepers often have to wait longer than outfield players to get their chance to establish themselves but Harte points to examples elsewhere in saying youngsters can make the gloves their own if they get an opportunity.

"Keepers can develop later but you look at James Trafford, he only really played one season at Bolton then got signed for Burnley," said the former Leeds full-back in conversation with Free Bets.

"At Sunderland Patto (Anthony Patterson) was brilliant in League One, stepped up to the Championship and has played 100 games.

"I think Sol is good enough to play for Middlesbrough now. Obviously that's not up to me, it's up to Michael Carrick and his staff. He definitely wouldn't disappoint if he played for Middlesbrough in the future.

"I think Sol is a top top goalkeeper. He'll definitely play in the Premier League. Hopefully he'll get the opportunity to play at Middlesbrough and win promotion with Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough have a top quality keeper on their hands."

There's set to be a bit of a goalkeeper reshuffle at Boro this summer. The contract of Jamie Jones - currently third choice - is due to expire, which is also the case with Liam Roberts, who has spent the season on loan at Barnsley.

Roberts, 29, is unlikely to return to Boro this summer but says as things stand he doesn't know what the future holds.

"I haven’t really heard anything," he told the Barnsley Chronicle.

“I am loving it here and concentrating on what we’re doing. My personal situation is nothing to do with it.

“My focus is getting Barnsley promoted. My time isn’t up yet and hopefully it isn’t up in the future.”