Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick insists “age is not everything” ahead of his side’s trip to Rovers after the international break.

Carrick and Jon Dahl Tomasson have two of the youngest squads in the Championship following their respective summer business.

The North East club currently sit at the foot of the table after taking just one point from their opening five games in the league.

Their poor start has come as a shock to many after finishing fourth last term before coming up short against Coventry in the play-off semi-final.

“Age is not the be-all and end-all,” Carrick told The Northern Echo. “There is a lot of talent within our group now, and it is for us to nurture that and educate them.

“We have got some older players who are just as important, if not more important in terms of leading by example and guiding the younger boys through.

“It is a really stable group of senior players, and I rely heavily on them to look after the dressing room. They do that fantastically well, so age is not everything.

“Balance is important though, and youth does bring a real energy and freshness to a group.

“Certainly in our case, they bring a really high level of ability as well. We feel we have a good balance, and I am really happy with how it has turned out.”

Despite their tough start, Carrick feels the club has recruited well over the summer and insists the squad is more flexible than last term.

The likes of Lewis O’Brien and Sam Greenwood have arrived at Boro, although last season’s top scorer Chuba Akpom was snapped up by Ajax.

“I am happy with what we have got. I think we have got good variety and flexibility,” Carrick continued.

“We have got good numbers for positions across the pitch, and each player brings something a little bit different.

“You have got to be careful because you have got a style of play, and you do not want to change one individual and have it dramatically different. But you want different skills and attributes that fit within the structure.

“We feel we have got that now and we can play slightly different ways, which for me is fantastic. Last season, we ended up playing pretty similarly the whole time which was fine, it worked.

“But I have always said I am not massive on formations, it is more the principles.

“Now, I feel the squad allows us to have more flexibility and to tweak things as we go. It is our role, as staff, to pick the best way and pick the best players to win certain games.”