Plymouth v Middlesbrough: Michael Carrick hails Matt Crooks ahead of his 100th appearance

When he moved to Middlesbrough in 2021 it looked the natural progression.

Now as the 29-year-old from Leeds gets ready to make his 100th appearance for Boro, he has become an integral part of their culture under Michael Carrick.

“I think first and foremost Crooksy is a terrific player,” said Carrick ahead of the trip to Plymouth Argyle.

"When you get talked about as a great character and person and great around the group, it can take away from the quality that you bring on the pitch.

“Crooksy brings both sides to it and that's why he's so important.

“He leads by example with how he trains every single day and the impact he has when he's on the pitch in terms of being such a threat and the work that he does for the team with and without the ball is really important for us, as is his threat and combination play in and around the box.

"Being a stable character, for me, a lot of it is about people as well and having good people around the place. Good people and good players. He goes about things the right way."

His ability to arrive on time in the penalty area is for Carrick a trait that is difficult to coach, and one that makes Crooks such a unique asset.

The former Miller has been found in a deeper No 10 role this season and it is clearly working, with three goals already.

“He's really clever and has a natural instinct for his timing and arriving in the right space at the right time,” continued the former Manchester United midfielder.

"That's something that's difficult to coach. He's got that naturally.”