CARLOS DE PENA has been tipped to light up the Championship by the manager he will be playing for this season, Aitor Karanka.

De Pena has flown back to Uruguay to say his goodbyes to his family and friends at Nacional, who finally agreed to sell him to Boro for £2.6m.

The deal, which saw him become Middlesbrough’s latest signing, was rushed through after the 23-year-old decided to head for England despite claims he did not have the permission of Nacional, whose board was split over the decision to sell the hot prospect.

But De Pena, who was even involved in a car crash which almost stopped the transfer happening, eventually had his wish granted and Karanka is delighted to have landed a player he feels will have a real impact in the English league.

Boro's head coach said: “The people here who don’t know him will know him soon. He is a player who will put the ball through for everyone, he is quick and he is young and can score goals.

“He has shown me he is desperate to come. He was disappointed when the car crash happened. But he will be here soon.”

Nacional supporters are frustrated to have lost the winger, who can also play centrally, but De Pena provides Karanka with another option at the top end of the pitch.

While Albert Adomah’s future continues to hang in the balance after his bust-up with the boss - and the departure of Mustapha Carayol on loan - Boro still have Stewart Downing, Cristhian Stuani, Diego Fabbrini and Adam Reach vying to fill the slots behind a lone striker.

Karanka could still add further to the players he has to call on when the loan window opens on Tuesday, although there will be no immediate rush because the Spaniard is satisfied with the additions he has made so far.

He has also allowed a number of players to leave the Riverside Stadium and one of those promising midfielders to have done so is desperate to make an impact and prove himself on the professional stage.

Bryn Morris has joined up with the England Under-20s squad ahead of the two games with Czech Republic and will miss the Coventry, where he is on loan, match with Burton Albion.

Former Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray, who handed him his debut for the Teesside club as a 16-year-old, has taken him to the Ricoh Arena for the season and Morris is determined to show he can step up to the first team stage after a couple of fleeting appearances.

The Hartlepool-born 19-year-old said: “I think this was the challenge I needed and that it was important to go out and get games. I’m not playing at the minute but I’m biding my time and working hard to get in that team.

“Hopefully I can go on to enjoy a good run of games and get my confidence up. With games comes sharpness and I really want to do well.''

Former Middlesbrough striker Kris Boyd, meanwhile, thinks Gordon Strachan has proved once again he is a good manager after failing to turn the Teessiders around.

Strachan is trying to help Scotland to Euro 2016 after taking over his national team’s reins even though his last role was when Boro flopped in 2010 after he succeeded Mowbray in the previous October.

Boyd was Strachan’s biggest signing during his time in the North-East and the striker also failed to make the move a success, but believes the former Coventry and Southampton boss should be handed a contract extension with Scotland.

He said: “I think we are all in agreement. Everyone who is Scottish is going to games with a smile on their face again because they like what they are seeing. Gordon might have looked at this as an opportunity a couple of years ago to come back and prove to himself and everybody else that he is still a really good manager and that what happened at Middlesbrough was a one-off.”