Having impressed for Middlesbrough during pre-season, questions have arisen regarding the immediate future of youngster Sonny Finch.
Despite being only 18 years-old, the forward already has four Championship appearances to his name, despite those all being off of the bench it does show that he is held in an extremely high regard by manager Michael Carrick.
Injuries perhaps halted Finch’s progression last term but having now fully recovered, he has linked up with the Boro first team for pre-season. Training with the senior squad will no doubt serve him well going forward and it could be a further indication of his immediate future at the club.
The forward would in fact score in Boro’s 3-0 win over League One outfit Bolton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly last Saturday, a goal which only makes Michael Carrick’s decision on what to do with the player harder, ahead of the forthcoming season.
A loan to either an EFL side lower down the pyramid or even the National League could be incredibly beneficial to the 18 year-old’s development. Consistent minutes in senior football could well accelerate his growth and it is certainly an option which is on the table currently.
Capped by England up to an under-18 level, Finch is one of Boro’s most exciting young talents but Carrick is also being careful with him at the present. Much of that is down to the injuries which he has sustained over the last year which has to be taken into account.
Speaking to Teesside Live regarding the youngster’s immediate future, Carrick was still undecided on what to do, but is in no rush to make a decision.
“He’s had a stop-start time over the last year or 18 months with injuries, but we’ll try and keep him fit and give him good experiences. I’m sure the goal (against Bolton) will have been good for him.”
“We can have him with us, and that’ll be good for him to learn. He’ll benefit from being part of the group. He’s been unlucky with injuries, so we’ll be trying to get him into that routine of getting through training sessions and playing in games.
“That’ll help take his game to another level, but at this stage, we’ll have to see what happens. He’s doing a lot of good things at the moment. We’ll keep trying to develop and improve him, and then make the best choice of what the next step is for him.
“Each individual is different. Just because one player goes out on loan, it doesn’t mean that’s the best thing for a different player in a similar position. It’s important we get that choice right. We’ll see. I can’t really commit either way at this stage.”
Writer’s View
It seems as if Finch is held in an extremely high regard by his manager, hence why making the decision on his immediate future is rather difficult. Having impressed in their pre-season fixture with Bolton, the decision is only made harder.
As much as a loan spell could benefit the youngster, it must be remembered that he is only 18. Furthering that, having struggled with injury over the last year, it may be best to stay at Boro at the minute. If that is the case, we may well see a few substitute appearances from the youngster, who seems to be moving in the right direction currently, and is certainly one to watch.
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