Law McCabe's exciting Middlesbrough progress rewarded with new long-term contract

Law McCabe has signed a new long-term contract at Middlesbrough, in recognition of the exciting progress he made last season.

McCabe became a regular in first-team training last term and made four first-team appearances including his full debut in the final-day victory over Watford. The 18-year-old academy graduate won the Scholar of the Year award at the club's end-of-season awards ceremony as a result.

Despite signing a new deal last December which wasn't due to expire until 2027, McCabe's exciting progress and development has been rewarded with improved terms as the midfielder prepares for what could be an exciting breakthrough campaign. His new deal extends the length of his contract at the Riverside by a further year.

READ MORE: Hackney comparison as Michael Carrick offers verdict on Law McCabe's first Middlesbrough start

Expected to be a fully-fledged member of the Boro first-team in the upcoming season, McCabe has been a central figure in Boro's pre-season training programme over the course of the summer. Though Aidan Morris's arrival from Columbus Crew has increased midfield competition, he is still expected to get more first-team game time next term, and is regarded as capable of stepping up even further should Trabzonspor or anyone else firm up interest in Dan Barlaser.

Speaking after handing the 18-year-old his first start against Watford - after an assured and mature display in the 3-1 victory, Carrick said: “It was fantastic for Law. He’s such a down-to-earth lad. He’s learning all the time and we’ve had him quite a lot with us this season for long spells. How he played is what we’ve seen in training every day.

"We’ve been trying to manage him right in terms of his training time and also game time. We felt today was the right time for him and he proved that right with how he coped with it. He had so much composure and his natural talent was on show. There will be so much more to come from him once he gets a few more games under his belt. I was delighted for him today. It was the natural next step for him."

As well as a reward for his hard work and growth over the last 12 months, the new deal is also the clearest indication of just how highly rated McCabe is at Boro.