Middlesbrough talisman Chuba Akpom has labelled Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back and current Boro loanee Ryan Giles a Premier League player after seeing him shine this season, speaking to Bernie Slaven for the club website.

Having enjoyed temporary spells at Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers last season, it was unclear whether he would be retained at Wolves or not, but another loan exit was sanctioned by the Midlands side during the latter stages of June.

And he has been one of the first names on the teamsheet this term, being brought in as a replacement for Neil Taylor and performing admirably on the left-hand side, both as a wing-back and now as a full-back under Michael Carrick following the switch to a back four.

Not only has he been an asset defensively - but he has also made a real impact going forward - recording an exceptional 10 assists in 36 competitive appearances for the Teesside outfit this term.

With this, Boro are keen to keep him beyond the end of the summer but it's currently unclear whether Carrick's side will have the finances to get a fresh deal over the line during the next transfer window.

Regardless of whether they do or not, Akpom believes Giles should be plying his trade in the top flight.

The attacker said: "(Giles is) Amazing. I’ve always said it from when he first came here that he's a Premier League player. Definitely, Premier League player. I think he’s only 22 or 21, he’s amazing."

The Verdict:

The fact he's been able to be just as much of an attacking asset in a back four as he was in a five and higher up the pitch is perhaps the most impressive aspect of his loan spell so far, with his crossing ability proving to be a real game-changer.

You have to give Carrick a lot of credit for keeping faith in him at left-back - because the former England international could have easily pushed him up to the wing.

At 23, he certainly has plenty of room for improvement and you feel it would be wise if the Teesside outfit tried to get a permanent deal for him over the line, though they may only be able to do that if they get to the top flight.

And if they do win promotion to the top tier, Wolves may be wary of strengthening a potential league rival so they may be reluctant to do a deal. It will be interesting to see what happens in the summer.

Prolific scorer Akpom is certainly benefitting from Giles' ability to be an asset in the final third and that's why the former will be desperately hoping to see the latter stay put for the long term.