MICHAEL CARRICK is delighted that Sol Brynn’s decision to sign a new long-term deal with Middlesbrough means the club do not have to worry about the future of their goalkeeping department.

Brynn penned a new four-year deal with the Teessiders this week, having first joined the club’s academy set-up at the age of nine.

The 23-year-old appears to have established himself ahead of Tom Glover in Boro’s goalkeeping pecking order, and is expected to be on the bench for this afternoon’s Championship home game against Bristol City, having started both of the club’s matches in the Carabao Cup.

Seny Dieng, who is firmly established as Boro’s number one shot-stopper, has started all of the club’s league games this season, and is contracted to the Riverside until 2027.

Brynn’s contract now runs until 2028, and with Zach Hemming, who is currently on loan at Leyton Orient, also part of the mix, Carrick expects the goalkeeping position to be one of Boro’s key strengths for the foreseeable future.

“We’re really happy with all of the goalkeepers that we’ve got,” said the Boro boss. “It’s similar to when we’re talking about the forward areas of the pitch, we’ve got really good options.

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“Stability is important, and moving forward with an eye on the future is important too. We’re happy to commit to that in certain situations, and with certain players.

“Then, it’s about performance after that to determine what happens. But in terms of the goalkeeper department and the balance, we’ve got really good choices and that will set us up well for the future.”

Carrick is pleased with the way his defence is shaping up in general, and has been keen to praise the impact of left-back Neto Borges, who joined Boro in the summer from Clermont.

“Neto is doing really well,” he said. “It’s obviously a big change, but he’s adapted and played very well. He’s physically handled the game well and is improving all the time in terms of understanding what we want and the players around him.

“I’ve been really pleased with him. He’s adapted to that role well. It’s how he plays naturally, so we’re not really asking him to do anything he’s not comfortable with. He’s been fine.”