Middlesbrough will be keeping goal-hero Ben Doak for the rest of the season after the deadline passed for Liverpool to recall the winger.

Michael Carrick had revealed on Thursday that the recall clause in the loan agreement had an early cut-off point, though the exact date was unknown. But after Doak netted an all-important second goal in Boro ’s 2-0 victory over West Brom on Tuesday evening, the Boro boss revealed the good news on the 19-year-old wing star.

Carrick said: “The deadline has passed for Ben. I said all along I was calm! Obviously we’re really happy he’s here, but genuinely, it hasn’t been a big thing for us. He showed again tonight how dangerous he is and then scored a terrific goal. It’s something he can do a little bit more, come inside onto his left foot, because it’s something he’s good at as well. I’m delighted with it.

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“He’s got that weapon and unique threat. The way he plays the game, everyone has their own strengths, but the way Ben plays the game, he’s always in the game and always a threat. We’re obviously happy he’ll be staying here. He’s a big role and he’ll continue to do that for the time that he’s here.”

The news comes as a huge boost for Boro, with the Scotland international a real star for Boro throughout the season. Along with Hayden Hackney’s opener, Doak’s strike helped fire Boro back into the Championship play-off places as they recorded their first home win of 2025 against Tony Mowbray’s Baggies.

On the win, Carrick said: “It was a good win. It was a tough game, they're a good team. We know that. In the first half we were very good with the ball. We controlled it for large spells, played some good stuff and caused them problems playing through them.

“In the second half, it was a different side to us, but very good in terms of defensively and we didn't give much away. The boys were desperate for a win and clean sheet. I'm really pleased with the win, it's a good step for us.”

Having suffered recently from letting positive positions in matches go, including on Saturday when losing to Portsmouth after leading 1-0 at half-time, the way in which Boro managed to get through a tricky 15-minute opening to the second half was pleasing for Carrick.

He added: “We can't expect to dominate the whole game, there are two teams out there. Possession gives you an element of control but you can control a game without the ball. We're dangerous on transition and we can use that to maximise how we play as well.

“I thought we were solid enough and when we had to defend we did. They started going a bit longer behind at the start of the second half and took us back a bit deeper but we dealt with that well.”