After a very successful loan spell at League One outfit Bristol Rovers, Middlesbrough forward Josh Coburn has been rewarded with a new long-term contract that will run until June 2027.
His loan spell at the Gasheads saw him feature 35 times, scoring ten goals and picking up the club’s Young Player of the Year award with boss Joey Barton claiming that ‘he has all the tools to be an elite level striker’.
20-year-old Coburn will hope to make a good impression throughout pre-season to force his way into boss Michael Carrick’s plans ahead of the upcoming campaign.
However, he is yet to feature in Boro’s first two pre-season outings against Hartlepool United and York City due to a slight injury picked up while on the warm weather training camp in Portugal.
He is no stranger to the Championship, scoring his first senior goal on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in the 2020/21 season, before scoring five times in the following campaign, including the winner against Tottenham in the FA Cup.
The sky is the limit for Josh Coburn
Throughout his loan spell at Bristol Rovers last campaign, boss Barton often praised the loanee in what was his first full season as a regular starter.
Speaking to BristolLive, the 40-year-old said: “For 20, you’ll struggle to see someone come into League One and handle the game at the level that he does.
“I’ve said it many times before I think he’s a real talent, Middlesbrough have got a fantastic prospect on their hands and we’re proud and privileged to have him in our team and he’s grown from the regular rhythm of games.
“Josh is a huge player in our team. But I think he has an enormous future out in front of him if he gets a little bit of luck with injuries, I think he could go on to play for England.”