As an Aberdeen-based Middlesbrough fan, watching Hayden Coulson impress at Pittodrie this season has been an interesting proposition.
Any time a player with Boro connections comes north, be it to Aberdeen or to one of the other clubs in our patch, it allows me to show off my limited knowledge, no doubt to the chagrin of the rest of the sports desk.
Coulson broke through at Boro during the 2019-20 season under Jonathan Woodgate, with the local favourite, who went from Middlesbrough player, to coach and then manager, wanting to play an attacking brand of football using home-grown players.
He played 30 times for the club that season but Boro struggled, with Woodgate sacked in mid-2020 as relegation threatened to drag the club into League One.
Coulson has been a stand-out player for Aberdeen
At the peak of his powers, Coulson was linked with moves to the Premier League but he has admitted that injuries have hampered his career of late.
Loans to Ipswich and Peterborough were ill-fated and questions would have been asked, upon coming up to Aberdeen, what type of player the Dons would be getting.
To his credit, Coulson has been one of the stand-out players for Aberdeen this season.
The Dons brought in two attack-minded full-backs in the summer, with Coulson signing on loan and Jayden Richardson on a permanent deal after his release from Nottingham Forest.
While Richardson has struggled defensively and found himself out of the team of late, Coulson has been an impressive figure at left-back and is given license to get forward.
With his contract being up at the end of the season, Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has said a decision will not be taken on him until then.
Boro may still want to keep the 24-year-old, which could be questioned by some given his lack of appearances for the first-team in the last couple of seasons.
Will Coulson make Middlesbrough return?
But the x-factor in this equation will be Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick.
The former Manchester United and England midfielder took over after Coulson had swapped one north-east for another, following the sacking of Chris Wilder.
Carrick will be getting reports on Coulson’s progress with the Dons but he will not have had the chance to work with him on a day-to-day basis. He also has Woodgate alongside him as his assistant, so can count on first-hand knowledge of Coulson’s qualities.
Boro currently have Wolves loanee Ryan Giles as their de-facto left-back, who has been a key contributor since Carrick came in.
Should he head back to his parent club in the summer, then Coulson may be seen as a perfect in-house replacement.
The time for the Dons to make their pitch to him could be now. He had a taste of representing the club on the big stage at Hampden Park in the League Cup semi-finals and will have a role to play in Aberdeen getting back there in the Scottish Cup.
Dons can offer opportunity, not Premier League riches
While Middlesbrough could have Premier League football to offer next season, if their resurgence under Carrick continues, Aberdeen will hope to have European football on their agenda if they can find form in the second half of the season. Both platforms will offer Coulson the chance to impress at a very good level.
The Dons cannot match the riches on offer in the Premier League or even the Championship, but offering a new experience of continental competition may be their best gambit.
For Coulson, if both clubs want to keep him, it will be a win-win. His spell at Aberdeen has got his career back on track and if he stays permanently, there is always chance to put himself in the shop window again in future.
If he is wanted by Boro and opts to return down the road, there will be a sense of having a point to prove, both to a new manager and also that he is good enough to hold down a starting place at an ambitious club.
Either way, I hope to be seeing the best of Coulson in one red jersey or another next season.
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