MUSTAPHA CARAYOL has signed a new contract on Teesside and has been challenged to rediscover his best in a Middlesbrough shirt next season – hopefully in the Premier League.

Confirmation Carayol has agreed a new, slightly improved, two-year deal at the Riverside Stadium, after his short loan stint at Brighton came to an end, has arrived ahead of the Seagulls’ final day trip to the North-East this weekend.

The 28-year-old has built up his match sharpness during his temporary switch south and Aitor Karanka now hopes he can make a big impact on the play-offs when Middlesbrough fight it out to join Watford and Bournemouth in the top-flight next season.

Karanka said: “I’m very happy. It is the best thing because he has recovered from a serious injury and had the opportunity to play some games at Brighton.

“He is now able to play for us in the play-offs. Muzzy has improved with us and can be very important player for us in the future if he continues in the same way.”

Carayol has not played for Middlesbrough since suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury 13 months ago and was due to become a free agent this summer.

But Middlesbrough had an option to extend his stay and have decided to act on it so he is now committed to the Riverside until June 2017.

Karanka had previously indicated to The Northern Echo that the player had no fears about his future because he knew what he was capable of despite the long lay-off.

The only reason he was granted permission to head to Brighton was to improve his match fitness and the head coach even planned for the potential of him being thrown in to a heated end of season play-off tussle.

Since then he has started four of his five games for Brighton. Even though he has not completed 90 minutes yet, he feels satisfied with where he is in terms of fitness if Karanka decides to call on him in the play-offs.

Carayol said: “I hadn’t played football for 13 months so just working on fitness and sharpness and trying to get game back and be ready for next season.

“A lot of it is mental fatigue as when you’re injured you’re not used to concentrating for 60, 70, 80 minutes. I think I’ve got better – it was tough when I first came and it was very heavy on my body, but I’m thankful to the gaffer and the chairman for giving me a chance.”

Carayol could even face Brighton this weekend if Karanka wanted him to, although a more likely scenario would be if he figured in a play-off semi-final with Middlesbrough requiring a minor miracle – a 20-goal swing – to seal an automatic promotion spot instead.

“I think I’m allowed to play for Boro again as my loan finishes on Tuesday but I’ll definitely be there at the Riverside watching even if I’m not playing,” the former Bristol Rovers man told BBC Sussex.

“I’m looking forward to it. It will be tough game because Brighton play good football. I’m sure they won’t sit back and they’ll try to win.”

Carayol moved from Rovers in August 2012 when Tony Mowbray bought him for just £100,000 after the club had regularly scouted him. Since then Middlesbrough have rejected offers in excess of £1m for him from both Brighton and Nottingham Forest.

Now he aims to be playing in the top-flight with Middlesbrough. He said: “I’ve agreed a contract with Boro already but obviously you never know what’s in store for the future.

“I’m open to everything. You can’t shut any doors in football. One moment you’re loved and the next you’re not, but I’ll wait to see what happens in the summer and hopefully next season I’ll be a Premier League player.”