Defender Marc Bola has committed his long-term future at Middlesbrough by extending his contract at the Riverside Stadium.

Having returned from his loan spell with Blackpool at the end of last season, Bola has been heavily involved under Neil Warnock this term, making 16 appearances in all competitions.

Bola initially joined from the Seasiders in the summer of 2019, but following just eight outing in the opening few months of the campaign, the 23-year-old was loaned back at to the Bloomfield Road outfit in the January window.

Despite featuring just times in Lancashire, the departure of George Friend to Birmingham City opened the door for Bola, whose become a regular under Warnock, starting 15 of Middlesbrough's 20 Championship matches this term.

Quiz: Have any of these 22 players ever been in Middlesbrough’s academy?

And following some recent impressive performances, Bola has been rewarded with a new contract that'll take him through until the summer of 2024.

The Verdict

This is excellent news for Boro.

Bola is the fourth first-team player already to commit their future to the club - joining the likes of Jonny Howson, Anfernee Dijksteel and Paddy McNair - which would suggest that everyone at the club is clearly on board with Middlesbrough.

If this current vain of positivity and good results continue into the New Year, then Middlesbrough might just find themselves playing Premier League football next season - with Bola a significant part of that.