Sebastian Berhalter of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough's Sebastian Berhalter(Image: Trevor Wilkinson/MI News/NurPhoto)
Middlesbrough's season may only be a couple of games old, but already there are signs of a developing partnership which could fire Kim Hellberg's side towards the Premier League.
Former Boro defender Tommy Smith is keeping a close eye on his old club, and has been impressed with the summer recruitment.
The Teessiders looked to have bought well in the window, with new striker Will Lankshear already bagging three goals since his move from Spurs.
But it's the link-up with midfielder Seb Berhalter which has caught Smith's eye, with the USA star now one of three Americans at the Riverside, alongside Aidan Morris and Max Arfsten.
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Smith told ITV: “We’ve got our own little American group going on. The two who’ve come in will complement the one we’ve got.
"Seb Berhalter looks like he’ll be a good signing from what I’ve seen so far. You see in the World Cup and what type of player he is.
"He likes to be in and around the box. He's a lovely footballer, a progressive footballer who likes to play the ball forward and he’s got an eye for goal.
"On top of that, his set-pieces are fantastic, and we already saw that in the pre-season game against Espanyol. In this day and age, set pieces are so important and can decide games.
"Already, there are signs of him and Will Lankshear linking. Seb set up his goal against Wrexham. I’m really intrigued to see how well they can link, because you can see Seb’s quality in those areas.
"The longer they play together, I think their partnership could flourish, I really do.
“Berhalter and Aidan Morris has been best friends for years. Those sorts of connections, they really do help. You know when you come here, you can lean on Aidan.
"Where to go, where to live, what to do, all these types of things make the transition a little bit smoother for Seb, and also Max Arfsten too."
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