KIM HELLBERG says Rokas Pukstas is physically "ready to go" for Middlesbrough after featuring prominently for Hajduk Split prior to completing his move to the Riverside this week.
And Boro's head coach has outlined how he sees Pukstas fitting into his side, telling of how he sees similarities between his new recruit and Hayden Hackney, the star midfielder who left for Everton this summer.
Hellberg says Pukstas' preference is to play higher up the pitch than last season's Championship Player of the Year did but believes the American will add real drive to the midfield, which was one of Hackney's many stand-out qualities.
Pukstas was an unused substitute at Burnley on Wednesday night and will again be involved this weekend at QPR, where he'll be hoping to make his debut.
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Whether or not he makes the starting XI on Saturday, Hellberg believes Pukstas has the qualities to make a real difference for Boro this term.
“Rokas can give us a lot of things," said Boro's boss.
"He has played a lot of games, so physically he is more than ready to go. He's good on the ball, he can drive the ball in tight spaces, he’s good at heading the ball, and he’s good at getting himself into the box and scoring goals.
"It's a good addition for us from a central position who can drive the ball with high pace and play a lot of games.
"He is similar to Hayden, but maybe a little bit higher up on the pitch. There are similar qualities in how mobile he is and good at driving the ball forward with a lot of pace.
"It’s just Hayden did that from a lower starting position whereas Rokas wants to be higher up the pitch. He wants to learn and he wants to develop - football is everything to him."
Pukstas added to an already strong American contingent in the Boro squad, with Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten joining Aidan Morris in the ranks this summer.
Whereas Berhalter and Arfsten both came from the MLS and were close friends with Morris, Pukstas left the United States to join Hajduk Split in Croatia when he was 16 - but the Americans in the squad are still helping him settle and adapt.
Hellberg said: “Rokas has been living in Croatia for, I think, six years. He moved early, so I don't think he has the same connection with other ones that know each other from an earlier stage of their careers.
"But, of course, it helps with the language, and it also brings a togetherness from them - they help each other in that, so I think that's good."
With Connor Barron also joining the squad on deadline day and Myles Peart-Harris' calf injury only minor, Hellberg has real options in midfield.
The head coach opted to play Adilson Malanda in midfield at Burnley on Wednesday night. He's confirmed in recent weeks that he still sees the Frenchman as a centre-half but likes what he offers in midfield.
He said: “He played a little bit of a hybrid role between centre-back and midfield [on Wednesday].
"You can use him in different ways. They switched their way of attacking, so having Malanda is very good because we can easily adapt and switch too. I like him as a player, of course, because he's an unbelievable player and a person, and he can do a lot of different roles for us. He was very good, and he’s a very good player.”
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