Tommy Conway's Michael Carrick reveal shows Middlesbrough gains from Aston Villa deals | OneFootball

The Boro forward has been speaking on the impact Carrick has had on previous players, and how much he can improve for playing under him.

Middlesbrough forward Tommy Conway has enjoyed a fruitful start to his Boro career, and the Scotland international has revealed that witnessing the impact Michael Carrick has had on previous players was a driving factor behind his move to the Riverside Stadium.

Conway finally ended his summer transfer saga by completing a £4.5m move from Bristol City in August, penning a four-year deal on Teesside.

The versatile 22-year-old striker has been in and out of the starting XI so far this season, alternating the centre-forward role with Ivorian international Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Five goals in his opening 11 Championship appearances has seen him become an instant hit with the Boro faithful, and has provided Carrick with two high-quality striking options as he looks to guide his side to Premier League promotion this season.

Getting the best out of attacking players has been one of Carrick's strong suits during his Middlesbrough tenure so far, and Conway has admitted that his track record in that department was one of the main reasons why he saw his future in the North East.

When weighing up the next move in their career, a player will undoubtedly do their homework on the managers of the clubs who present as a possible transfer option.

Having spent the previous two seasons playing in the Championship for Bristol City, and coming up against Carrick's Boro side on multiple occasions, Conway will have seen first-hand the coaching ability on offer by playing under Carrick.

Speaking in an interview via Teesside Live, Conway revealed: “The manager and what he’s done with players before were big factors in me coming here. Me and Doakie (Ben Doak) are learning from him.

“He’s played at the highest level, won major trophies for Manchester United, so knows what it takes. That’s only going to help me and Doakie for club and country.”

Indeed, Conway wasn't the only one of Middlesbrough's summer recruits to cite Carrick's exploits, both as a player and from what he's achieved in his short-time as Boro head coach, as a driving factor behind a move to Teesside.

Central midfielder and US international Aidan Morris made no secret of the fact that the Middlesbrough boss had played a leading role in his Boro transfer.

Speaking shortly after signing for the club via Teesside Live, Morris said: “I had a zoom call with him, I think around 30-45 minutes and it was great. He gave me the foundation of how they play, the group of guys we have and also just the life around the club as well. It gave me the confidence in coming here and made my decision easier.

"I grew up watching (Manchester) United games. I remember my dad would pull me out of school to watch the famous Champions League games against Barcelona and games like those. So it’s a bit surreal to me to now have him as my coach. He was an unbelievable player and I’m excited to learn from him.

"It’s a perfect fit for me because he was a midfielder who controlled the rhythm and the tempo of a game and was so consistent. He was all the things that I strive to be great at. It will be cool to work with him."

Pair of Aston Villa deals were some of Carrick's finest examples of his coaching ability

Reputation can spread quickly across the world of football, and Carrick appears to have built one at Middlesbrough that strongly appeals to talented young players across the globe.

Conway, Morris, Ben Doak, Rav van den Berg, Finn Azaz, Micah Hamilton and Alex Gilbert are all current examples among Boro's first-team squad, and a pair of recent Aston Villa deals will have gone a long way to spreading the word of Teesside being a place to prosper as a young footballer.

Cameron Archer signed on a short-term loan until the end of the season in January 2023. He'd enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Preston North End during the second half of the 2021/22 season, but hadn't quite been able to break into Villa's squad on a regular basis.

Archer would score 11 goals and provide six assists in just 23 appearances during his spell at the Riverside, with his time working under Carrick setting him up for a £18m move to Sheffield United after his loan deal with Boro expired.

Then came Morgan Rogers. Middlesbrough signed him from Manchester City for a mere £1m in July 2023, and come January 2024, Aston Villa shelled out up to £16m for the forward.

Carrick played a big role in turning him into a player that Villa were willing to part with that sort of money for in such a short space of time. Since moving to Villa Park, Rogers has established himself as one of the Premier League's brightest young talents, and even bagged his first couple of England caps as a senior player.

Conway was evidently aware of those coaching exploits, and so will future Middlesbrough players, as the proof is in the pudding that if you're a talented young player, joining Carrick at Boro can turn you from hot prospect, to hot property.