Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is eager to keep hold of Lewis O'Brien.

The midfielder is on-loan at Boro from Nottingham Forest.

“There hasn't been any (talks) at this stage, but of course, we are getting towards that stage where we start to firm plans up for next season," Carrick told TeessideLive. “We'll see.

“To be honest, with Lewis, the focus is more on getting him back fit, getting him enjoying his football and getting him back to his best. He's on his way to doing that.

“There was never a consideration for him going back to Forest, not at all," he added. "I think, how Lewis is as a man, as a person - his character and his attitude - he's thrown himself into being a player here and making it his home. That wasn't easy given that he suffered the injury after just five games.

"So I can't speak highly enough of him in terms of how hard he's worked and how good he's been around the group, even when he was injured. That's all down to him and hopefully he will continue to get his rewards for that and will be a big player for us in the coming weeks. We know what he can do and we know what he is capable of."