AARON Ramsey took his chance for Middlesbrough with a brilliant display in the win over Reading that ticked all the boxes for boss Michael Carrick.

Carrick opted to bring the Aston Villa loanee into the side in place of Marcus Forss on the right flank and the winger justified his selection with an electric display.

He won the penalty that set Boro on their way to the 5-0 victory before adding a fine double with one before and one after the break.

"AJ was brilliant," purred Carrick.

He's a selfless player. He makes selfless runs for those around him, he's intelligent, he sacrifices himself and understands what others around him are good at.

"He's just a good footballer. He's fitter, stronger, athleticism is a big part of his game but I thought his football intelligence and quality on the ball was fantastic."

Boro are benefiting from some shrewd loan signings with Villa pair Ramsey and Cameron Archer both impressing on Teesside. Archer has quickly established himself as Boro's first choice striker and although he didn't score against Reading he put in another fine line-leading display.

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And fellow loanee Ryan Giles also caught the eye yet again. He made two goals in the second half to move to the top of the Championship assist charts with nine for the season.

Carrick said:  “I don’t see them as loans, I just see them as our players, to be honest. They’re part of the group and part of the squad and look like they’re enjoying themselves.

"They’re all at a really good age and have great camaraderie amongst them. I thought they played well with each other and showed a great understanding with each other really well all afternoon."