SOL Brynn's hopes of a first team breakthrough with his hometown club have been boosted after the goalkeeper was handed a new two-year deal at Middlesbrough.

It comes after Brynn returned to Boro following his impressive loan spell at Swindon Town and is understood to have impressed Michael Carrick in training.

Although Brynn obviously couldn't feature for Boro in the play-offs, he did train with the first team after Swindon's League Two campaign came to a close, giving head coach Carrick his first opportunity to see the 22-year-old up close.

Jonathan Woodgate, one of Carrick's first team coaches, knows Brynn well from his previous spell with the club and thinks highly of the keeper.

Brynn, who has been with Boro since joining the academy when he was just nine, is yet to play for the first team, but enjoyed a hugely impressive year with Swindon, where he was voted the club's Player of the Season.

The Teessider's previous contract was due to expire this summer but Boro moved to activate an extension earlier in the season and the keeper has now signed up for a further two years, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2025/26 season.

Brynn is set to be given his opportunity to impress during pre-season. There's currently a vacancy between the posts at Boro after Zack Steffen returned to Manchester City at the end of his loan. A Boro return for Steffen this summer is unlikely. Liam Roberts was deputy last season after his move from Northampton Town 12 months ago.

In an interview with the Echo last season during his Swindon spell, Brynn told of his ambition to become become Boro's No.1.

He said: "100%, that's definitely what I want and has to be the aim."

Brynn's form at Swindon last year caught the eye, with a number of League One clubs showing an interest in January and keen to take him on loan for the second half of the season. Given his spell at the County Ground was going so well, Boro understandably opted to let him see out the full season with Swindon. There's also been talk of Premier League interest this summer.

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Brynn spent the first half of the 2021/22 season on loan at Queen of the South but was recalled in January and told he could challenge for the No.1 spot. Chris Wilder ultimately decided against giving Brynn his chance, but he's been a regular training with the first team in recent years and was an ever present for Swindon last term.

Brynn is one of a number of young players having returned to Boro after impressive loan spells, with Josh Coburn, Hayden Coulson and Kamil Conteh also catching the eye elsewhere last season and hoping to impress Carrick come the start of pre-season.

Meanwhile, Boro have also handed a new one-year contract to teenage keeper Henry Popple.

The Billingham-born youngster has been with Boro since joining the academy as an Under-14. He stepped up to the Under-21s last season and also had a spell out on loan with Stockton Town.