Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has told the Hartlepool Mail that Uche Ikpeazu needs to take the opportunities that come his way at the club.
The towering striker joined Boro this summer from Wycombe Wanderers and made a lightening start to his career in the North East as he scored twice in his first three league games.
However the frontman has since fallen down the pecking order and found himself on the bench as a result of Andraz Sporar's strong form since his move from Sporting Lisbon.
Now Warnock has challenged Ikpeazu to start taking the chances that he is afforded in order to regain his starting spot in the squad moving forwards:
"He's got to show what he can do when he gets the opportunity.
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"I'm not a big stats person but when he came on for ten minutes recently he never made one sprint in that time."
Ikpeazu was in fine form for Wycombe last season prior to his move north and will now be seeking to re-find his scoring touch for Boro over the next few weeks and months.
The striker signed a three year contract with the Sky Bet Championship side this summer upon completing the move.
The Verdict
The truth of the matter is that Sporar has come in and completely changed Warnock's thinking at present.
Therefore Ikpeazu has been dropped as his rival is scoring goals for fun and making a lasting impact during his early days as a Boro player.
The former Wycombe man needs to understand that he has to do the hard yards off the ball to impress his manager and it may well take some time for him to get up to speed with what Warnock wants.
It's a whole different environment to being at Adams Park and it's clear that the striker is finding that out the hard way so far.