Middlesbrough youngster Isaiah Jones has been a revelation this season, and he has given an interview with Teesside Live about the campaign so far.
Middlesbrough signed Jones from non-league side Tooting and Mitcham in 2019 and made his Championship debut on the opening day of the current season.
Coming off the bench away at Fulham could have fazed a lot of young players making their debut. But Jones instantly made an impact, registering an assist for Marc Bola’s equaliser just six minutes after being subbed on.
The assist proved to be decisive as the score ended 1-1.
Since then he has played in all but two of Middlesbrough’s subsequent fixtures. He has started 13 out of Boro’s 21 games so far, and is keeping the likes of Premier League loanee Onel Hernandez out of the side.
He got his big break under previous boss Neil Warnock, but he has started all four games under new boss Chris Wilder too. He grabbed his first goal for the club at the weekend to add to his four assists, when he scored the winner in the 1-0 win over Swansea.
READ: Middlesbrough winger speaks out on ‘proud moment’ after first goal of his Boro career
But his role under Wilder has changed significantly than under Warnock. With the new manager deploying his favoured 3-5-2 formation, it means Jones is having to adapt to right wing-back role, something which he spoke about in the recent interview with Teesside Live.
“For me, playing wing-back has been alright,” he said.
“I’m not a sulker, I just do what the gaffer wants me to do.
“I am adjusting to the position because I am a natural winger and now I’m a little further back at wing-back.
“I think I’ve done alright so far, but I’ve got to learn and this is just the start.”
Jones will likely keep his place when Boro travel to Stoke City this weekend. However, the return of Dael Fry means that he could play at centre-back with Anfernee Dijksteel moving out to right wing-back in place of Jones.
But given his fine form so far this season, he will take some budging.
