Michael Carrick is weighing up whether or not to send academy star Law McCabe out on loan in January, as Middlesbrough plot the midfielder's next steps.

McCabe has emerged as the next star in the Boro academy in the past 12 months and won the club's Scholar of the Year award in May's End of Season awards. The 18-year-old made his debut last November and has since gone on to make another four appearances in total, including his first start in the win over Watford on the final day of last season.

Though still a regular in first-team training, Boro's midfield options after the arrival of Aidan Morris this summer means that McCabe's first-team opportunities have been few and far between this term. His only appearance came in the Carabao Cup defeat to Stoke City, while he has been an unused sub for five Championship games.

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With that in mind, Carrick was asked whether or not there were any considerations that the youngster may head out on loan in the upcoming transfer window to gain more senior experience. Explaining the thought processes for such a move, the Boro boss said: “Especially with younger players, there’s always an element of what’s the right loan, or what’s the best loan?

"Sometimes it’s a loan where they take a step into a different environment and it doesn’t always go your way but gives you the experience to set you on your way through your career as you come back here mentally stronger. Sometimes it’s going and playing a lot of football, and sometimes key to that might be playing a similar style of football, other times it might be playing a different style.

"It always depends totally on each individual player, and is definitely not a blanket of: you get to a certain age and you need to go out on loan as part of your development. It’s very individualised. We try to be as thoughtful in that as we possibly can.

"With Law, we’ll see. We’ll make a call on that. He’s doing really well. With the ball it comes natural to him - his feel and the way he receives the ball for a pass. For his frame and his size, the physicality is a side that’s to come as he develops, and that’s something we try to help him with - picking what’s the best move for him to have the next step in his career.

"Sometimes that will be training with and being a part of our group, other times it might be taking the step to go out on loan. They’re ongoing decisions really, and we always try to make the best one that we can.”

As well as McCabe, Boro are also considering loan moves for other under-21 stars such as Harley Hunt and George McCormick. From the regular first-team squad, Alex Gilbert could also be considered for a temporary move, with Boro's 25-man registered squad with the EFL currently at its maximum and needing to be trimmed if Boro are to bring in any additions during the transfer window. McCabe, Hunt and McCormick don't need to be registered to play due to being under-21 players.