IT'S been a difficult start to the season for Middlesbrough on the whole, but on an individual level summer recruit Sammy Silvera is pleased with how quickly he's adapted to the English game.

Silvera arrived from Central Coast Mariners in the summer and has clearly made an impression on Michael Carrick. The 22-year-old was a substitute for the home defeat to Millwall on the opening weekend of the season but has started the four league games that followed and got assists on the board in the home draw with Huddersfield and defeat to West Brom. He also started and scored in the Carabao Cup first round win at Huddersfield.

The winger would have obviously preferred Boro to have made a stronger start to the campaign, with Carrick's side having gone into the first international break propping up the Championship after the home defeat to QPR.

But he says he's been pleased on a personal level by how quickly he's managed to get to grips with the English game.

Other than an unsuccessful spell in Portugal, Silvera had played all of his football in Australia before his switch to Teesside in the summer, when Boro fought off competition from Championship rivals as well as clubs in Scotland and Asia to secure his signature.

“Honestly, it's just surreal. I'm still just trying to believe it’s happened," says the wideman, reflecting on the early stages of his time at Boro.

"It's been an amazing learning curve for me, especially since it's been so quick, and now I'm hoping to learn more.

“I thought there would be a bit of an adaptation period, but I've adapted really well.

“I'm just grateful for the minutes that I'm getting, and I’ve got to keep putting the hard work in.

“Every time I step on the pitch, I’ve got to play as hard as I can, and I’m going to continue to do that.”

What's helped Silvera is the fact he's had familiar faces around him. Fellow Aussie Tom Glover also arrived in the summer, both joining Riley McGree on Teesside.

“Coming to the club first before signing, I spoke to Riley [McGree], and he told me about how it was in there, obviously to learn that Tom was coming as well,” says Silvera.

“So it's been great to have them there to adapt to life there.”

READ MORE:

Silvera has caught the eye of Australia boss Graham Arnold in the first month of the season, with the winger receiving his first national senior call-up for a friendly against Mexico in Dallas on Sunday.

Arnold said: “In the A-League he was hot and cold but he seems to be performing more (consistently) at a good level now."

Glover, who like Silvera is uncapped, is also in the squad for Sunday's game, as is McGree.

Arnold is closely assessing his options ahead of the Asian Cup in January, with friendlies against England and New Zealand to come in October before two World Cup qualifiers in November.

Silvera, though, is only focused on the immediate challenge ahead and impressing - if he gets the chance - against Mexico.

“It's really exciting,” he said.

“They (Mexico) have a lot of great players and have had a lot of success.

“But, the focus is here, and we are going to learn from the players that have been here, continuing on from the amazing couple of games they (Australia’s squad) had at the World Cup.

“I just want to continue that and hopefully add some more to this team.”