New boss could look to former club to snap up a 'big player'

AS IT became clear that Rob Edwards would become the man entrusted to take the reins at Middlesbrough after Michael Carrick was sacked earlier this summer, links to Luton Town star Alfie Doughty felt almost inevitable.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Described as a 'big player' by Edwards, Doughty helped his Hatters in their run to promotion with two goals and seven assists from left wing-back before then registering three goals and nine assists in the Premier League, while Luton put up a valiant fight against relegation.

Doughty's future at Kenilworth Road is uncertain after Luton's relegation to League One last term, and with Edwards now in the Boro hotseat, the links seem pretty obvious.

It would be easy to completely rule out such reports. Linking new managers with deals for former players can often be easy and lazy.

Numerous former Manchester United players were linked to Boro under Carrick and not one ever signed. And indeed, Boro have already been linked with a move for Luton's Millenic Alli, with those reports wide of the mark.

In this case, however, there is plenty of merit in the links to Doughty. What we know so far is that Doughty is already a player that Boro recruitment chiefs admire, and have done long before sacking Carrick this summer.