KIKE could quite easily have gone into his shell after watching Middlesbrough spend £7.6m on two new strikers this summer, and there is still a chance of more attacking reinforcements at the Riverside Stadium.

Instead, after hitting his first brace in a Boro shirt since his move from Real Murcia 12 months ago, he has vindicated head coach Aitor Karanka’s decision to give him every chance to stay in his plans this season.

After finding the net three times in as many matches, Kike is in line to keep his place against Bristol City at the Riverside Stadium ahead of exciting summer recruits David Nugent and Cristhian Stuani.

The arrivals of both Nugent and Stuani could have put Kike in the shade, but he has embraced the situation and Karanka claims he knew he would.

“I didn’t have to say much to him because all of my players know me. He knew. All of them know that the main thing always is the team and to get promotion. It is not important for me if Kike is playing or Nugent is playing or Stuani is playing. It doesn’t matter,” said Karanka.

“All of them know the team is not about individuals. It is a team. The aim is to get promotion at the end. Kike is scoring but one day Kike will not be scoring and Nugent will play or Stuani will play. The main thing is that they all have attitude they have now.

“When the players know my personality and my way of working, it doesn’t matter if one player is £4m or £7m or £20m. It is all the same. I played with Dael Fry in the first game at Preston and I had others on the bench. He showed me he was ready in pre-season, so when I pick the team I don’t look at the value I look at how they train every day on the training ground.”

Even though the goals dried up last year after a bright start following the 25-year-old’s move from Spain he still ended up with 12 goals. And without making predictions, Karanka feels his compatriot is more than capable of bettering that number.

“Kike is now more mature. For me he was very good last season,” said the boss. “Last season he came as first choice striker and Patrick Bamford came as a loan. Patrick scored more goals. Kike knows more about the league now, the opponent, and that is why it is important.

“Stuani has come from La Liga and the Uruguay national team, but the Championship is different. It will take time to adapt. Kike has had that experience. Nugent has more experience than him.

“Nugent is 30 years old and has played a number of years in this league. He scored goals in the Premier League last season. That is why I needed Nugent. He doesn’t need time to settle. The player which will take time to settle is Cristhian. He will settle in soon though because I know about his character.”

Boro have not ruled out signing a further striker if the right deal presents itself before the transfer window shuts on September 1. Nugent is the main man they wanted after a summer in which they have considered Jordan Rhodes, Gary Hooper, Dwight Gayle and Andre Gray.

Brentford’s Gray rejected a £9m move to this afternoon’s opponents Bristol City earlier this week, another indication that more clubs in the Championship are spending substantial amounts of money.

“It's nice to see teams spending money as up to now it's just us and Derby spending,” said Karanka. “Everyone is trying to do their best and have the best team, so for that reason if you have the money and you think it's the right moment, why can't you spend the money?

“It's the market, I have my budget and I need to know their real value. When I was watching the figures with some strikers, I preferred to wait to take the right one. It's not about spending £9m or £12m, it's about bringing in the right players.”

The visit of the Robins will mark the 20th anniversary of Boro's move to the Riverside, which will be four days the official milestone; when Craig Hignett and Jan Aage Fjortoft scored in a 3-0 win over Chelsea.

Karanka will not be getting too sentimental, claiming he only wants to make his own memories. He said: “It is nice to look at the images around from years ago but I prefer to look at the future. The past is the past.

“I played and I was a coach, but now I am here and my future is to think about here and the Premier League. I knew when I came here how big and this ground is, that’s why I am working every day to remember those days and to get the stadium full every week.”