“Big reputation” - Michael Carrick tipped to hand Middlesbrough summer signing his chance soon | OneFootball

Micah Hamilton has been backed to succeed at Middlesbrough after his summer switch from Man City.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Micah Hamilton has been backed to make his mark at Middlesbrough in the future despite enduring a difficult start with his new club.

The 20-year-old came through the ranks at Man City, and he even featured for the Premier League champions under Pep Guardiola last season.

However, with game time understandably hard to come by, Hamilton moved to Boro in the summer in search of more regular game time.

Micah Hamilton’s slow start with Middlesbrough

But, so far, the attacker is yet to play as often as he would’ve wanted, with his five Championship appearances for the club coming as a substitute, and he is yet to register a goal or an assist.

Of course, it’s very early days, and boss Michael Carrick is understandably managing the minutes of the youngster as he gets to grips with life in the Championship.

And, speaking to FLW, fan pundit Phil Spencer explained how a few factors have worked against Hamilton in the opening month of the season, although he was confident that he would turn out to be a shrewd addition for the Teesside outfit.

He said: “It’s probably a little bit too early to assess Hamilton. He came with a big reputation having come through at Man City, he played games for them last season and was heavily involved in pre-season.

“So, there was always going to be a period assessing where he’s at, but it’s quite difficult as he hasn’t played a huge number of minutes. I think our exit from the League Cup was a blow for someone like Hamilton, who would’ve benefited as he feels his way into the system.

“He has shown he’s comfortable on the ball, he’s adapting to life under Carrick. It’s not been a great start for Boro, so it’s not like he’s playing in a winning team. He has generally been brought on when Boro are chasing a game, and the opposition are sat deep, so it’s tricky to make an impact.

“He often does look to play the safe pass, we’re still waiting to see that burst of pace and an ability to beat a player, which he had shown at Man City.

“It’s clear there is talent here. He’s still young, still raw and I don’t think he’s ready to be starting right now. But, given where Boro are, with the poor results, it may well be that he is given an opportunity in the next few weeks.

“It’s difficult to make a proper assessment as his game time has been limited and the circumstances haven’t been in his favour when he has come on.

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a great bit of business, and hopefully we will see more of him in the next few months, so we can see what he is really capable of.”

Micah Hamilton was a long-term signing for Middlesbrough

This is a very fair assessment of how things have gone for Hamilton, and it needs to be reiterated that he was signed for the future.

At 20, he was never going to just walk into Middlesbrough’s side, and Carrick will be working on the training ground every day with the youngster to develop his game.

He will get opportunities, but, as outlined above, they have so far come in challenging circumstances for Boro, so it’s unfair to judge Hamilton just yet.

That will change over the coming weeks, and it still wouldn’t be a surprise if Hamilton became a key player for Boro this season, as the ability is there, but patience is needed - as it is with all young players.

Plus, Boro are well-stocked for options out wide, so it’s not like they’re reliant on Hamilton right now, as Carrick still searches for his best team.