Middlesbrough's ex-Aston Villa star is 'whole package' who is now getting rewards

ASK Michael Carrick a question about an individual player and Middlesbrough's boss will often shape his answer to talking about the team.

That's not to say he won't praise a player when it's deserved but for Carrick the priority is the collective, or at least that's the case when he's talking to the media.

He's not usually one for headline-grabbing soundbites and won't go overboard with frustration or delight.

So for Boro's head coach to describe Finn Azaz as the "whole package" is quite something.

Perhaps, though, it shouldn't come as a surprise, for the importance of Azaz to Carrick is crystal clear.

Consider minutes played this season. Azaz, the only outfield Boro player to start all 15 Championship games so far, has played 1,196 minutes. That's more than 220 minutes more than the next most-used Boro attacker, Emmanuel Latte Lath.

And with minutes has come output. Azaz is joint top of the Championship assists chart and only three players have more goal involvements so far this season.

With two goals and one assist against Luton on Saturday, Azaz was the star of the show.

And that followed the win at QPR where Azaz set up Tommy Conway for his goal with a perfectly measured cross.

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The former Aston Villa man now has three goals and three assists in his last five outings. But it's not just those headline grabbing involvements that please Carrick.

“Finn is talented and has been doing a lot of things that benefited the team without getting the ultimate reward from it," said the Boro boss.

"The way he plays, he’s so clever in the way he moves and links play for us. There’s been so many good things from him. Like every player, that little extra confidence when it starts coming for you, you can see he’s gone up a level again.

"We’re delighted with Finn and all the work he puts in. There are two parts to it really. There’s the end product, then there is the part that gets you to the end product. For us, judging the performance and all parts of what goes into that gives us a better chance over the long-term. I think Finn has done loads of good work without always getting the rewards for it."

He's certainly getting his rewards now and while Carrick will continue to tweak and rotate his forward line to get the most out of the many options at his disposal, Azaz - at least so far this season - is a nailed on starter week in, week out.

When Conway arrived from Bristol City in the summer, the Scotland international was initially used as a No.10, with Azaz moved to the left. But the 24-year-old has always looked most at home at No.10 and has made that spot his own, leaving Carrick to choose between Conway and Latte Lath, rather than playing both.

Azaz is versatile but his best football for Boro since joining in January has always come in that central No.10 role.

Carrick said: "We know his quality, his eye for a pass and for finding spaces to create for others.

"He’s an intelligent player and he can score goals as well. He did so before he came here and it was one the reasons we bought him. He’s got the whole package really and he’s having a really good spell, but there’s loads more to come from him still."