MICHAEL Carrick speaks from experience when he stresses the importance of loan moves for young Middlesbrough players who are in the early stages of their career.

Back in 1999, an 18-year-old Carrick, who'd made two substitute appearances in the Premier League for West Ham, headed to Swindon Town for a short but extremely beneficial spell.

At the time, the Robins were struggling on and off the pitch, bottom of what is now the Championship and cash-strapped. They went into administration later that season and ended up getting relegated.

READ MORE: Sunderland and Middlesbrough U21s in 12-goal thriller with Mowbray & Carrick watch

But for Carrick, his short stint at the County Ground, where he made six appearances and scored two goals, was extremely crucial. He returned to West Ham and the following season he was a regular starter in the top flight. Just 18 months after his Swindon spell, he was a full England international.

Boro's academy youngsters don't only have the first team head coach as evidence of loan spell benefits but midfielder Hayden Hackney too. And Carrick sees similarities between his time at Swindon and Hackney's spell at Scunthorpe last year.

The Iron endured a miserable season, relegated out of the Football League, a move that was undoubtedly testing for Boro's young midfielder. But Hackney's incredible emergence this year is yet more proof of the importance of loans for youngsters.

“Hayden's (loan) reminds me of mine," said Carrick.

"I went to Swindon and at the time I was at West Ham and we were Premier League whereas Swindon were bottom of the Championship. I went there and it was tough. I played games and I enjoyed it, but it was tough and a different kind of world to what I was used to. I then came back to West Ham and kicked on, and Hayden’s at Scunthorpe was very similar.

"It doesn’t always have to be the best team, playing the best football. It’s about playing football to gain that experience you need as a young player. That’s the balancing act we’ve got when we look at how to help the younger lads and what’s best for them in that moment in their career."

Josh Coburn is a different example to Hackney in that his loan spell with Bristol Rovers couldn't be working out any better. He's playing, scoring, learning and will return to Teesside in the summer with a year of first team experience under his belt hopefully ready to kick on again and establish himself in the Boro team. Sol Brynn, at Swindon, is another Boro youngster impressing.

As ever, there's no shortage of loan interest in Boro's youngsters this month and moves will be sanctioned before the end of the window but only if the club feel it's the right opportunity at the right time. Carrick got a closer look at several academy players as he watched Mark Tinkler's Under-21s beat Sunderland 7-5 on Monday night, though the team was experienced, with Matthew Hoppe - who scored twice, Liam Roberts, Caolan Boyd-Munce and Marc Bola among the starters. Bola hobbled off injured in the first half, the latest disappointment for the defender in what has been a frustrating season so far.

READ MORE:

Michael Carrick considering allowing Middlesbrough player to leave on loan this month

Cameron Archer outlines his key ambitions for his time with Middlesbrough

For Boro's promising young players, the club will decide whether loan moves are the best course of action. There isn't a one size fits all approach, as Carrick explains.

“We look at a case-by-case basis and, individually, what is best for each player," he says.

"It’s not a blanket view of every young player has to go out on loan. Some are further down the pathway than others. Some will need a bit more football whereas others will need a bit more coaching. Each individual player needs something different.

"I went on loan as a youngster and really benefited from it. To go out there and really struggle - it was only six weeks because at the time the loan system was different - but I think at times it can be just as useful really to go on loan and struggle and then have to come back and try and kick on from there. It can’t always be the perfect loan all the time where you play loads of minutes and everything goes great. There’s a real balance to that, especially for a younger player who is finding his feet in the game."

Those who do go out learn off the pitch as well as on it.

Carrick says: “It’s everything you gain from going out on loan. Sometimes the off-field stuff is just as important when you’re a young man because you have to develop and mature and find that off-field belonging to prepare you for senior football and making a living from the game.

"It’s very different coming through the ranks and some boys need to find that in different ways."