MICHAEL Carrick says Middlesbrough must continue to be patient with Ben Doak, despite the Liverpool loanee's hugely impressive start to life on Teesside.

Doak has quickly established himself as a key figure in Carrick's side and has started the last six Championship games.

But he's only once played the full 90 minutes for Boro, with Carrick opting to withdraw the winger in the second half of the other five games he's started. He was sorely missed against both Watford and Norwich, when his exit was followed by Boro twice conceding two goals and dropping costly points.

Doak was taken off at Norwich on Sunday immediately after Tommy Conway's missed penalty in the second half and just moments before Borja Sainz halved the home side's deficit. Having been Boro's player for 70 minutes, his absence was felt in the late stages as Norwich battled back to earn an unlikely point.

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Carrick has been thrilled - yet not at all surprised - by the impact of Doak but is keen to point out the winger is not yet 19 and this is his first taste of regular senior football.

"Ben is dangerous, we know that, we know what he's capable of," said Boro's head coach, who is preparing for Saturday's visit of Coventry City.

"He's still young and we still have to be patient with him and help him develop."

Doak has been Boro's most dangerous forward player in recent weeks but Carrick says he likes the balance of his attack.

"We like to think we have the options of going right, left or through the middle then it's up to the players and we give them the freedom and feel where the space is to attack.

"I thought we played some fantastic football at times [at Norwich] and got the reward with goals and could have scored more.

"The balance of the group is good, they're doing a lot of things."