Middlesbrough loanee Samuel Iling-Junior admits he hasn’t yet figured out himself what his best position is, with the versatile forward able to occupy a number of roles.

His versatility is one of the main attractions for Boro in bringing him to the club this January, with his Bologna loan cut short by Aston Villa in order to allow him to join Boro in search of more game-time. Boro’s work with past Villa loanees Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey, as well their fast-track development of Villans stars Morgan Rogers, helped convince the Midlands club that Teesside was Iling-Junior’s best destination.

But with Boro blessed with many forward options, the big question will be exactly where the 21-year-old fits in. In his debut on Monday he came on to the right wing but is equally as comfortable from the left. Throughout his youth career, he’s also played as a ten, a false nine and a central midfielder.

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On what he thinks is his best position, he said: “I haven't figured that out yet but just definitely playing. I'm going to play for the badge. As long as I'm playing with a smile on my face, I want to put a smile on theirs [fans].

“Definitely the style of football [attracted him to Boro]. Attacking football, ball possession, you always want to be in possession of the ball to show what you can do. I just want to get going and get to work. It was definitely an opportunity where I can get more minutes and that's what I'm looking for at this moment in time. Hopefully I'll help the club push for promotion.”

As well as hoping he can help Boro’s promotion push in whatever position he ends up playing, the England U21 international has personal aspirations for his time at the Riverside, with the U21 European Championships coming at the end of the campaign. That desire to impress can ultimately be to Boro's advantage.

“We're going into every game fighting for something and that's important in football," he said. “I want to show what I can do in the senior game and it's important for me to show what I can do. We [England U21s] have the Euros this year. I want to be a part of that and regular minutes will definitely help.”