MARTEN DE ROON has received the backing of his manager as he continues to acclimatise to life in the Premier League.

De Roon was expected to make a significant impact after moving to Boro in a £12m switch from Italian side Atalanta this summer, but while the 25-year-old Dutchman has made five Premier League starts, he is yet to make a telling contribution.

He recently admitted he is still coming to terms with the pace of life in the Premier League, and his settling-in process was hardly helped by the hamstring injury he suffered in the early stages of his debut against Stoke.

Nevertheless, Aitor Karanka has been satisfied with his efforts so far, even if he expects him to improve as the season goes on.

“I think he (de Roon) has been really good,” said the Boro head coach. “His attitude since he arrived here has been perfect. He was unlucky (to suffer his injury), but has settled in because moving from Italy is very difficult.

“It is more difficult when the team is not winning games, but I like his attitude and positive presence. He brings character, a lot of work and stability. A lot of things. Every player coming from abroad needs time to adjust, but Marten has a really good attitude.”

With Adam Forshaw having excelled since coming on as a substitute in the opening game of the season, de Roon is currently keeping Adam Clayton out of the side.

Clayton was one of the key performers in last season’s promotion success, but has found himself demoted to the bench for the last two matches.

With Grant Leadbitter stepping up his recovery from hernia surgery – the skipper should be back in first-team contention within a fortnight or so – the competition for places at the heart of midfield is about to get even more intense.

Karanka accepts that Clayton, in particular, is frustrated at the moment, but is happy to have a number of different options at his disposal.

“Of course there is frustration because he (Clayton) is not playing, and he wants to play,” he said. “He had a chance when Marten was injured, but now he is on the bench, and when he gets his chance, he will play.

“At the start of the season, I thought my first choice was Clayton and de Roon, so I know both can play together. All of them can play together.

“Grant is training with the team now, and needs to train and get fitter as soon as possible. But his injury is good. At the moment, he is training with us for two or three days, and I like to involve him with the team.

“He will travel (to Arsenal) and come with us as a squad player, but he is not ready for matches yet, even with the Under-23s.”