BOTH in the summer and in the last couple of weeks after returning from his latest injury setback, Riley McGree made an instant impression on Rob Edwards in Middlesbrough's training at Rockliffe.
McGree was named in the squad for the first time this season for Friday night's win over Ipswich Town, and even though he didn't get on, just having the Australian international back on the bench was a boost for Middlesbrough and Edwards.
Edwards has high hopes for McGree, but considering the 26-year-old hasn't yet featured for Boro in a competitive game since the summer change in the dugout, it's not obvious where the forward will fit into head coach's side.
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But versatility is something Edwards prizes, and McGree is comfortable playing in several positions - which excites the head coach.
“He’s looked great in training and we know the qualities he’s got," said Boro's boss.
"Going against him too, I know how good a player he is.
"We’ve talked quite a lot about where he can fit into this team. He’s certainly someone who is really intelligent and so good technically, so he can fit for us in different positions.
"Whether it’s a wide forward role coming in, a midfield position, or an attacking midfielder. It’s a really interesting one for us.
"He’s a really good connector. As soon as he drops into those training sessions, you can see straight away the pictures that he sees.
"His quality shines through straight away. He gives us a really nice problem when he’s at full tilt."
It's a nice problem because Boro are incredibly well stocked in attack. That was clear on Friday night when Edwards was able to leave out the likes of Sverre Nypan, Sontje Hansen and Kaly Sene, who were all on the bench alongside McGree.
“I’m sure he can contribute massively to helping improve the attack," said Edwards, whose side are in Championship action again when they take on bottom side Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough tomorrow night.
"We have others in the team who can do that similar link play with Sverre and David [Strelec] and Sontje.
"There are a lot of lads who can do that. We just have to continue to try and find those connections.
"We’ve already had good examples of that already this season, but no doubt about it, that's where his skillset is, and he can help with that."
