IT is not just the quality of Adam Reach’s football that has impressed Aitor Karanka this season – the Middlesbrough head coach also feels the 21-year-old has grown up.

Having forced his way to the fringe of the first-team picture last season, Reach has cemented a regular starting spot this term, with Saturday’s appearance against Bournemouth making it 13 starts in 17 Championship matches.

Reach has previously spent time on loan at Darlington, Shrewsbury and Bradford, and Karanka freely admits he did not believe the versatile midfielder was ready to handle the pressures of senior football when he first arrived at Middlesbrough a year ago.

He has seen him mature markedly since then though, and now regards Reach as an integral member of his senior squad.

“The key is now he is more mature,” said Karanka, who reaches the first anniversary of his Riverside tenure on Thursday. “He was on loan two or three times and sometimes the player's character permits them to play at 20-years-old or 18-years-old, but other players like Reachy or Gibbo (Ben Gibson) have gone out on loan three or four times to reach that point.

“It's the most important thing that he now is more mature, and when you are more mature as a player, you are also more confident. The manger, the club and the staff give you more confidence, and when you feel that confidence, it's normal that you improve.”

Reach was one of Boro’s stand-out performers during Saturday’s goalless draw with Bournemouth, with his first-half strike against the crossbar representing the closest that either side came to breaking the deadlock.

England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate has been monitoring the left midfielder’s progress this season, and while there was no call-up for this week’s friendlies with Portugal and France, it would be a surprise if Reach, a former Under-19 and Under-20 international, did not receive his maiden cap at Under-21 level before the end of the season.

“He is playing well now, and I'm sure that he can play better because he's a very good player, a good lad and a good example for the academy,” added Karanka. “He is more mature now, and he's the kind of lad who always wants to learn. He listens to you, and he listens to my assistants.

“Last Thursday, he finished his recovery session, but stayed out on the pitch to watch the rest of the lads train. He's the sort of lad who loves football, who always wants to learn and for this reason, he will have a very good future.”

While Reach will not be involved in this week’s Under-21 action, Gibson will be part of Southgate’s squad as they continue to prepare for next year’s European Under-21 Championships in the Czech Republic, and the Boro defender will link up with Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson, who he successfully shackled at the weekend.

“He (Gibson) is a good player,” said Wilson. “Ben congratulated me on the call-up after the game and said he would see me again on Monday. It will be nice to catch up and have a chat with him about the game.

“Boro had a game plan and executed it well. When we had the ball, they dropped off straight away so there was never really any space and it was more of a fight in the air rather than a ball down the side for me.”