Kim Hellberg tips forgotten Middlesbrough man to have a big impact this season | OneFootball

Kim Hellberg is excited about the potential of Leo Castledine in his first full season at the Riverside

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg believes that having Leo Castledine fit from the off this season will be like having a "new player" at the club.

The Swedish boss was a revelation in the Championship after arriving in late November following Rob Edwards's departure, playing attractive football and briefly leading Boro to the summit in February.

Following that win at Sheffield United, which saw them top, Middlesbrough would win just four of their final 15 league games, falling into the play-offs, which they ultimately lost in both the semi-finals and the final.

The main frustration was a lack of quality in depth and ruthless nature in front of goal, and while Castledine was brought in to try and improve that in January, he found it difficult to adapt quickly to 'Hell-ball' and was largely ineffective in the second half of last season.

Kim Hellberg believes Leo Castledine will be "like a new player" this season

Action images

Middlesbrough have been hard at work already this summer bolstering their options up front and immediately behind the striker, too, adding necessary quality with the arrivals of Kyle Joseph from Hull for £4 million, and Will Lankshear from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal which could be worth up to a record £20 million.

Now there is that strength in depth across the frontline, but alongside those two new arrivals is Castledine, who could effectively be seen as a new signing, too, and Kim Hellberg evidently isn't giving up on him after just six months, despite the money already spent in forward areas.

The 20-year-old is coming into the season fully fit and with more time to adapt to the Swedish boss' style of play, and scored twice in their 3-3 draw with Espanyol to close out pre-season on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, per the Northern Echo, Hellberg spoke of his excitement at what Castledine can do in the upcoming campaign.

"He only started one game [last season]," he said. "It was a good game; we won 4-0 against Preston, and he had been a good substitute against Stoke the week before and scored as a sub against Bristol City.

"I think it was unlucky with him in terms of the injury, but he's been taking the summer break and worked really hard, and we all know his big quality around the box in scoring goals. You can see the finish for the first one is a brilliant one, and then the header for the second is a good header.

"There's a lot of potential in this boy, and he's like a new player for us. He can play in a lot of positions, so he's a very good player."

Leo Castledine's difficult start to his Middlesbrough career, which he'll be looking to turn around this season

Action Images

Castledine was Middlesbrough's marquee signing in January, arriving for a little under £1 million from Chelsea after excelling on loan at Huddersfield Town in League One in the first half of the campaign.

The promising 20-year-old netted 10 times in 23 third-tier outings for the Terriers, eight of which came in a 10-game run before his permanent relocation to the Riverside.

Unfortunately, Castledine couldn't get going in a Boro shirt, suffering a leg injury following his first, and to date, only, start for the club in a 4-0 win over Preston North End in January, which kept him out for six games, and then he missed a further four throughout April.

He played just over 300 minutes in the second half of the campaign and was left on the bench in their play-off final defeat against Hull City.

Kim Hellberg's style of play is incredibly demanding and rather difficult to adapt to immediately midway through the campaign. Castledine couldn't live up to the expectations he set due to his time at Huddersfield, but the Swedish boss has high hopes for him in his first full campaign at the Riverside.

Middlesbrough fans react to Leo Castledine's pre-season brace against Espanyol

Action Images

Castledine made sure to outline his intentions to be a major player for Middlesbrough this season after showcasing his quality against a La Liga side, and Boro fans are excited to see what he can do in an injury-free Championship campaign.

After the game on Saturday, Boro's social media team made sure to catch up immediately with the 20-year-old, and fans flocked to the comments to share their support for him.

"Looking so much fitter and physical kidda," one fan commented. "Love Leo," another fan said.

"I said it weeks ago… Castledine is going to have a big season. His value will soar," was also amongst the replies, while one supporter tipped the 20-year-old to be a "big player this season!"

There's a real swell of support around the former Chelsea youngster, especially following the brace against Espanyol.

Boro