MICHAEL CARRICK still sees Jonny Howson as a midfielder rather than a centre-half, but the Middlesbrough boss can see a time when his skipper starts to become more of a regular presence in the back four.

Howson impressed as he slotted into the backline for the Good Friday draw at Southampton, and barely put a foot wrong as he once again partnered Matt Clarke at the heart of the Boro defence in Monday’s win over Sheffield Wednesday.

With Rav van den Berg approaching full fitness, there is a good chance the 35-year-old will be restored to his more usual midfield position when Swansea City visit the Riverside tomorrow afternoon.

His continued importance at the base of midfield is not lost on his head coach, even if Carrick concedes that the way in which the game is changing means Howson is more than capable of making a more permanent move into the defence.

“It depends on what team you’re playing against and what their style is, but I think you’re seeing a bit of a shift where centre-halves have to be more comfortable in possession and able to deal with the ball under pressure,” said the Boro boss. “Especially with the way we like to play, our centre-halves have to be able to handle the ball and be comfortable enough to do that side of things.

“That probably plays to Jonny’s strengths, but I also think in the last couple of days he’s also shown the importance of experience and what that brings.”

While Carrick spent most of his playing career as a central midfielder, he also dropped into the back four on occasion with Manchester United, particularly towards the end of his time at Old Trafford.

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The experience made him even more convinced that Howson was capable of adapting to a new role in the last couple of matches, hence his lack of surprise when things went so well.

“I’ve gone through it myself at times,” he said. “You get dropped back to centre-half as a midfielder, and you can actually find it quite enjoyable with that new challenge. You see the game slightly differently.

“In some ways, it’s maybe a little bit easier, but in others, it can certainly be a little bit more challenging. Jonny’s adapted fantastically well in the last couple of games.

“He did the same thing against Luton last year, and did exactly the same. If and when we need to use him in that position, we know Jonny’s there and we know exactly what he’s capable of.”

With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it remains to be seen whether Howson remains part of Carrick’s plans next term.

However, with the skipper having confirmed his desire to carry on playing, and continuing to enjoy himself on Teesside, it is hard to see why the Boro hierarchy would not offer another one-year deal on the same terms that were agreed last summer.

Heading into the summer break without a contractual agreement in place is nothing new for either Howson or Boro – the same thing has happened in the final weeks of the last two seasons – and Carrick insists the lack of progress at this stage is not something to be worried about.

“In terms of Jonny’s contract situation, nothing’s massively changed,” he said. “It’ll get itself sorted out in due course, I’m sure. I understand why it gets talked about, but I really don’t see any of that as a big issue.”