Though Michael Carrick tried to play it down, Kelechi Iheanacho has some big shoes to fill at Middlesbrough after the departure of Emmanuel Latte Lath.

It’s true that Boro are managing goals from throughout their team right now, while the return of Tommy Conway on Monday evening was a huge boost. The summer signing from Bristol City actually has a better goals-per-minute ratio than Latte Lath this season and it will be a huge boost if he can now put injury troubles behind him for the run in.

But Iheanacho, after a season of struggle at Sevilla, will be hoping to use all of his experience to leave his own mark at Boro, regardless of how long he stays on Teesside. Initially at least, he’s only here on loan until the end of the season, with no option included for a future purchase.

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While that decision has been questioned, given Boro’s desire for longer-term planning, there is protection there for Boro too. The main reason it’s a straight loan is due to Boro being able to negotiate a loan deal with Sevilla that is understood to see them paying less than 50% of his big wage at the Spanish club. Put simply, Sevilla are already taking a hit on the deal, and so to include a purchase option that gives themselves no protection if he proves a huge success just wasn’t going to be possible.

There is confidence at Boro, however, that, if the former Leicester City star proves a success on Teesside, a permanent deal could be arranged. Even if that weren’t to be the case for whatever reason, Boro will at least have many more options available to them in the summer, which is always a more favourable market for the buyer.

For now, Boro just needed someone who would have the ability to come in and challenge Conway up top and hit the ground running - with the task of replacing a striker who has 29 goals in the last season and a half a difficult one for any club. In that regard, Iheanacho’s experience was a real bonus, though his goalscoring record might not be the biggest source of optimism. In seven years at the King Power, the Nigerian hit double figures only twice - albeit while spending most of his time there playing second-fiddle to Jamie Vardy. In an injury-hit Championship campaign last term, he managed five goals.

However, in analysing the most eye-catching Championship deadline-day deals as part of his new column on the EFL website, Sky Sports commentator David Stowell made an excellent point about Iheanacho’s move, and the protection within the details.

Stowell wrote of Iheanacho's Boro move: “With all the noise surrounding the future of Emmanuel Latte Lath Boro always needed to bolster their frontline. Iheanacho's experience of English football, including achieving what Boro craves, means that this move makes a lot of sense.

"It is a straight loan move with no option or obligation to buy, so there's an incentive for him to impress and try and get a permanent move to either Boro or elsewhere, because it hasn't really worked out for him in Spain. This is an opportunity for him to get back on track, and for his new team to try and secure a Play-Off spot by putting their inconsistencies behind them. He brings plenty of experience, and if he hits the ground running, a lot of quality.”

That incentive point can be a huge one for Boro. Similar to Ryan Giles, Iheanacho is effectively on a longer-term trial at Boro. He will know better than anyone that what happens in the next four months or so will ultimately have a huge impact on what the future holds for him. Now 28, his peak years are running out, and he’ll no doubt not want to waste that. Hopefully Boro are the big benefactors of that.