Law McCabe and George Gitau could save Middlesbrough FC millions in transfer fees | OneFootball

Boro's academy system is one of most respected in English football, and two of its brightest talents could be set to save the club millions.

Middlesbrough Football Club have a long and storied track record of producing homegrown talent from their widely respected Rockliffe Park academy system.

From the Premier League, all the way through the EFL and in top divisions overseas, traces of Middlesbrough's youth network can be found across world football.

Boro boast a category 1 academy, the highest classification that can be awarded, and have had over 100 academy graduates play for the first team.

Current head coach Michael Carrick has proven himself to be a manager who isn't afraid to call upon young players if they are deemed to be good enough, with central midfielder Hayden Hackney being a shining example of that over recent seasons.

With numerous youngsters seemingly on the verge of breaking into the senior side at the Riverside Stadium, and with their ranks laden with youth internationals, the Teessiders could be set for a golden era of homegrown talent in the coming years.

Football League World identifies two Middlesbrough academy talents that could save the club millions in transfer fees in the future.

George Gitau

Having joined Middlesbrough in 2020 after spending time with numerous Premier League sides in Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal respectively, George Gitau has been turning heads in Boro's academy for some time.

The 21-year-old has shone in Middlesbrough's Under-17's, 18's and 21's over the past couple of seasons, and was handed the opportunity to get a taste of senior football by joining Northern League Division One side Marske United on a month's loan in December 2023.

Eligible to represent Germany and Kenya internationally, Gitau is a highly versatile defender who tends to operate in his natural right-back role, but is also highly comfortable playing as a central defender as well as further up the pitch as a right-winger.

Gitau is a confident, ball-playing defender with excellent footwork and close control, whilst also having an eye for goal too having scored a handful of goals and provided a number of assists during his time in Middlesbrough's academy.

The long-term future of Boro's right-back position is murky at best, with doubts over all three of Anfernee Dijksteel, Luke Ayling and Tommy Smith respectively regarding how much longer they will be at the Riverside for.

As such, Middlesbrough could be in desperate need of a new right-back in the near future, and if Gitau continues to develop at the rate he is, he looks to be in with a big chance of becoming the natural successor in that position.

Law McCabe

A name that will be familiar to many Middlesbrough supporters given the handful of first-team sightings in recent times, 19-year-old Law McCabe looks to be a real talent for the future.

The Boro-born central midfielder has been in the Middlesbrough system since Under-9 level, and was already making the step-up to Under-21 level during the 2022/23 season.

Since then, his development has been rapid, and his performances have been enough to see him represent England at Under-18 level.

Carrick decided to hand the teenager his full senior debut on the final day of the 2023/24 season at the Riverside in a 3-1 win over Watford, in which he played 72 minutes before being substituted for Lewis O'Brien.

McCabe looks capable of operating both as a number six or an eight, and perhaps even a number 10 in time, and is evidently a player that Carrick and Middlesbrough's first-team coaching staff rate very highly.

With the long-term futures of Jonny Howson, Dan Barlaser and Hayden Hackney in varying levels of doubt either through age/contract situation and previous transfer interest, Boro could be in need of new central midfielders in the not so distant future.

Therefore, McCabe could be primed for an extended first-team breakthrough soon, and should he take to it, he may well be Boro's latest homegrown midfield maestro to shine in the senior side.