Micah Hamilton joined Middlesbrough from Manchester City on a permanent transfer in August.
Boro paid the Sky Blues around £3.5m, including add-ons, to bring the winger to the Riverside Stadium.
The expert verdict on Micah Hamilton suggested he would be an instant hit on Teesside.
The ex-Man City gem is technically gifted, has great speed and loves to take on players in one-on-one situations.
However, Boro fans are yet to really see what Hamilton can offer their side in the 2024/25 campaign.
The 20-year-old made his club debut in the first round of the Carabao Cup, coming off the bench for nine minutes when Middlesbrough beat Leeds United 3-0.
Hamilton then started in the second round of the competition when Boro were smashed 5-0 by Stoke City but he was hooked after 63 minutes.
In the Championship, meanwhile, the England U20 international has so far garnered just 32 minutes of action under Michael Carrick.
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Michael Carrick offers Micah Hamilton verdict
After failing to cement himself as a regular starter in the opening month of the campaign, Hamilton may be questioning his Middlesbrough transfer.
But speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Preston North End on Thursday afternoon, Carrick has now offered a positive verdict on Hamilton.
The Boro boss stressed the fact Hamilton has undergone a massive change leaving City for Boro this summer, but added that he is pleased with how the winger is progressing.
He said: “It’s a big change, playing for Manchester City since he was a young boy.
“But certainly, over the last couple of weeks, I can see the spark in him and you can see him growing in confidence, you can see his fitness getting sharper.
“So really, really pleased with the way he’s going. I’m sure he’ll progress and improve as the season goes on, no doubt.”
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Why Micah Hamilton may struggle to break into Middlesbrough eleven
While Carrick’s comments on Hamilton suggest he is happy with the player, it is currently hard to see a way he can break into the starting line-up.
Isaiah Jones has been Middlesbrough’s primary right-winger this season and is expected to start against Preston this weekend.
Hamilton was the only backup to Jones when he first signed but Boro then completed a loan move for Ben Doak on deadline day.
Doak’s best position is right-wing as well, meaning he is in direct competition with the former City starlet.
And in a further blow to Hamilton’s chances of becoming a regular starter on Teesside, Marcus Forss is back in training after a very lengthy injury lay-off.
Hamilton is a versatile player and can operate as a number 10 as well, but Finn Azaz and Alex Gilbert have both performed tremendously this term, meaning he is unlikely to get minutes in that role either.