MICHAEL CARRICK insists Josh Coburn and Sonny Finch both have a future at Middlesbrough despite being sent out on loan for the remainder of the season.

Coburn joined Championship side Millwall on transfer-deadline day at the end of last month, while Finch headed into League Two with MK Dons.

The pair experienced contrasting fortunes on their respective debuts last weekend, with Coburn scoring on his first appearance in a Millwall shirt during a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday while Finch was forced off with a back injury as MK Dons lost to Salford City.

Coburn is the older and more experienced of the duo, but with Emmanuel Latte Lath and Tommy Conway set to battle it out for a starting spot in Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough line-up, the Boro boss felt it was important both players left Teesside in order to secure regular first-team football.

That does not, however, mean that he has written them out of his longer-term plans as he can easily envisage both players returning to continue their careers with Boro next summer.

“Josh and Finchy were in a very similar position,” said Carrick. “We feel that’s a really good move for Finchy and we’re delighted with that. For Josh, we just felt - and he was similar - that he needs to play games more regularly.

“I think that’s what he needs. I think it was a sensible decision to put him out on loan. He goes there to play games, get experience and hopefully come back a better player.”

Millwall boss Neil Harris is delighted to have secured Coburn’s services, with the Richmond forward having linked up with former Boro team-mate Duncan Watmore at The Den.

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Harris first began monitoring Coburn when he was on loan at Bristol Rovers a couple of seasons ago, and he jumped at the chance of recruiting the 21-year-old when it became clear Boro were willing to do business at the end of last month.

“He’s (Coburn) everything you’d want in a number nine,” said Harris. “I saw Josh a couple of years ago. He played for Bristol Rovers at the end of lockdown. I was Cardiff manager at the time, and he was outstanding. 

“He was such a threat. You could play up to him, he could physically beat defenders up, in the nicest possible sense. He could run forward and what really impressed me was he knew how to score a goal.

“That’s why we’ve chased him all summer. It’s so important that we have an identity as a football club and the best Millwall teams have had a number nine leading the line that’s effective in different ways.

“Josh will bring so much to us as a team, as Richard Sadlier did, as Paul Moody did, as Steve Morison did for so long. He’ll bring the best out of so many players around him. He’s such a key signing for the football club.”

Harris was hugely impressed with Coburn’s debut performance, which saw him open the scoring against Sheffield Wednesday shortly before the hour mark.

The striker has always possessed pace, power and an eye for goal – no Boro fan will forget the explosive FA Cup goal against Tottenham that marked his arrival onto the senior stage – but his development on Teesside was stunted by a series of injury issues.

Harris is hoping Coburn’s injury worries are in the past, even if he admits it will be hard for the youngster to maintain the standards he set in his debut display.

“I thought he was too good,” joked Harris. “He’s made life difficult for himself, really, because everybody is going to be expecting him to be that good again.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on Josh’s shoulders, but he’s shown how important he’s going to be over the coming season because he just gives us that focal point.”