Samuel Iling-Junior’s loan spell at Middlesbrough might have ended in disappointment, but he says he developed so much to take forward in his career thanks to Michael Carrick.
A week after Boro sacked Carrick, Iling-Junior detailed how helpful the Manchester United legend had been to his individual development during his six-month spell on Teesside, as he prepares for the U21 European Championships with England before his return to Aston Villa.
Iling-Junior had a mixed spell at Boro, initially struggling to make a positive impression before injuries forced the former Boro head coach to use him as a left-back. There, the Villa prospect found his home in the Boro side and became a regular, with Young Lions boss Lee Carsley even selecting him as a backup full-back for this summer’s tournament in Slovakia.
Reflecting on his loan, Iling-Junior told the Sun: “I can only look at it on the positive side and I've only got good things to say about Michael Carrick, who's a good gaffer and man-manager. Tactically he could work with players one-to-one and helped me develop. He gave me trust and I was able to show that on the pitch.
“I definitely settled into the left-back role and going up and down the pitch. I enjoyed that, bringing my parts into the team with assists, tricks and being creative. There’s definitely been a lot of lessons learned this season. A lot of things that I can bring into my game and that's something that I'll take forward.
“The biggest lesson, definitely, has been how to manage different loans because it’s been my first times out. I was and am comfortable living abroad. It's something that I can adapt to and I’ve done it before. But also being back home, that was exciting for me.”
At one stage during last season, Boro were pondering the possibility of trying to extend Iling-Junior’s loan to keep him at the Riverside for another 12 months. However, by the end of the season, it was confirmed the 21-year-old, along with Boro’s four other loanees, would all be returning to their parent clubs and were unlikely to back at Boro next term. In Iling-Junior’s case, there were said to be a number of factors that meant the club accepted he wouldn’t be coming back.
Speaking on his future, the ambitious youngster said: “You have to put the World Cup in your sights and knock on that door, or at least put myself in a position to be knocking on that door. There's a pathway and there's always someone watching. All the boys that have made their debut from the U21s and are now in that squad.
“hat just goes to show that if you keep putting your mind to it and work with the coaches then you'll get repaid for your hard work. And then, definitely get back into Villa after this tournament and have some conversations and make an impact there as well. Unai Emery has always had conversations with me, so that helps.
“He's kept track of my loans. So that’s definitely a good relationship and once we get back after the tournament then we'll have those conversations. For now, it’s definitely just focusing on the Euros and we'll see when I get back to Villa.”