Matt Clarke's form changed Middlesbrough's summer transfer plans and handed Carrick 'a problem'

Matt Clarke's form at the end of the season has ultimately changed Middlesbrough's summer transfer plans and has created what was described as 'a right problem' for Michael Carrick in the upcoming season.

Clarke returned from a 14-month absence last season after a frustrating back problem just six games into his Boro career would ultimately require back surgery. Though he returned to the first-team fold in November, he was carefully managed initially and didn't start consecutive league games until mid-February.

At that point, Boro were believed to be scouting centre-backs ahead of the summer transfer window, with anticipation that Paddy McNair would be leaving on a free transfer, while Clarke, it was expected, might also leave the club. Kieran Scott admitted that there was doubts at one stage that Clarke would even return at all.

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Scott said: "There were question marks over whether Matt was even going to be able to play football again. Nobody has really come back from that injury and played at that level. I think he was absolutely magnificent. Top guy as well! A good pro, a standard driver, a good fella. I thought he was brilliant on the pitch and grew into it."

Clarke really did impress and would eventually work his back to a level that stopped requiring the caution of Michael Carrick. He started the final 13 games of the season - from which Boro lost only two - was nominated for a PFA Player of the Month award, and was nominated for Boro's Player of the Year award as a result too.

It's no surprise then that, earlier plans that might have seen Boro try to move the defender on this summer have been long since scrapped. He has 12 months remaining on his Boro contract, though the club have an extension clause built into that.

As Scott points out though, with the club adamant they will dampen any enquiries their take for Rav van den Berg this summer, and with Darragh Lenihan and Dael Fry both returning from injuries during the summer, Carrick now has a real headache as far as satisfying all four talented centre-backs is concerned.

The Boro head of football said of the centre-back: "Michael has a right problem with four top-class centre-backs. It's a really good four. Darragh is back. He's been good to go for a little while, but it was pointless rushing him back. But he's ready to go and will come back really good. We'll do the same with Dael then obviously we have the other two lads [Clarke and Van den Berg]. It's a really good four."