RILEY McGREE has committed his long-term future to Middlesbrough by signing a new four-year contract with the club.

McGree’s previous deal was due to expire at the end of next season, and while talks over a new deal began earlier this year, the summer break arrived without an agreement in place.

Further discussions have taken place since McGree returned from his post-season break through, and the Australia international has now penned a new contract that commits him to the Riverside until 2028.

Confirmation of McGree’s new deal will be welcome news for Boro head coach Michael Carrick, who has regularly spoken of the 25-year-old’s importance within his first-team squad.

McGree missed the final month-and-a-half of last season through injury, but is back to full fitness now and was part of the Boro squad that spent last week on a training camp in Portugal. He is expected to feature in the Teessiders’ opening domestic pre-season friendly at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park at the weekend, when Carrick’s side will take on Bolton Wanderers.

“Riley is an important part of our squad,” said Carrick, who has generally used McGree in an attacking-midfield position on the left-hand side. “He’s a good lad and he has a great attitude. We’re all about building things here, and this is further demonstration of that.”

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McGree initially joined Boro from American MLS side Charlotte FC in January 2022, having impressed during a loan spell in the Championship with Birmingham City.

He made 43 league appearances in the 2022-23 season, scoring six goals, as he established himself as a key member of the senior squad.

His impact was more limited last season, with a series of injuries keeping him on the sidelines, but he still finished the campaign with four goals from 22 Championship appearances.

His new deal reinforces his continued importance, and ensures Boro are not vulnerable to offers from outside clubs, which they might have felt compelled to entertain had McGree been in the final year of his contract and not agreed new terms.