Samuel Iling-Junior spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Middlesbrough.
Samuel Iling-Junior has sent a farewell message to Middlesbrough following his brief loan spell with the club.
Iling-Junior joined from Aston Villa in January when his loan at Bologna was cut short, and despite a slow start, he managed to make 16 appearances for Michael Carrick’s side. He contributed one goal and two assists in Boro colours, but was unable to help the club reach the play-offs this season.
After his departure was confirmed on Boro’s retained list on Friday, Iling-Junior took to Instagram to leave a statement on his stories. It said, “A tough ending. I wish the best of luck to the fans, but especially to the squad and staff who welcomed me into such a wonderful environment. It was brief, but nice and memorable. UTB.”
Iling-Junior was one of five loan players at the club this summer, and none of them are anticipated to return to the Riverside next season. Boro were interested in re-signing Mark Travers, but indications are that they will be priced out of the deal. At one point, there was talk of looking into another loan move for Iling-Junior, but that will not happen anymore. Iling-Junior will return to Villa this summer, but his future remains uncertain, with a first-team debut doubtful, despite claims of interest from Napoli.
Iling-Junior spent the majority of his time at Boro as a left-back when defensive injuries forced him into a deeper position. Boro will bring back Neto Borges for the season’s final game, as well as Alex Bangura for the start of preseason.
The Villa player was initially signed to bolster Boro’s wing options, but his effect in those advanced situations was limited. Boro have made bolstering their forward options a top priority this summer, with Ben Doak’s loan spell from Liverpool coming to an end.
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