PATRICK BAMFORD has hinted he is ready to stay at Middlesbrough beyond this year.

After initially dipping in and out of the starting line-up when his half-season loan from Chelsea started in September, Bamford has started the last four games for Boro and has scored in back-to-back wins over Rotherham and Norwich City.

Victory in this afternoon’s top of the table meeting with Bournemouth would cap a memorable week in which he was also included in Gareth Southgate’s England Under-21 squad for upcoming friendlies with Portugal and France.

Karanka spoke on Thursday of his determination to keep Bamford at the Riverside beyond January 1, when his current loan expires, and the forward is keen to play a huge part in keeping Boro in the automatic promotion places in the Championship.

He said: “The gaffer has made it clear that he wants everyone together. There was a time when I was upset earlier in the season when I didn’t feel I was playing enough. The gaffer said that I had to be in it for the team.

“That is now my mindset and everyone looks at it that way. We are in it as a team. Being together is the only way we will get to where we want to be. I’m happy here and with how things have gone.”

Boro will climb to the top of the Championship if they beat leaders Bournemouth and Karanka expects to make further changes to the team which started against Norwich.

Freshening things up is high in his thinking for every game and Bamford thinks every member of Karanka’s squad has realised that the methods are the best way to deliver results after a successful recruitment process.

The 21-year-old said: “I don’t think anyone will be happy to be sat on the bench but it’s about understanding that even if they are on the bench they have an important part to play. That player, whoever it is, might come on and score the winner.

“Yanic Wildschut came off the bench and scored on Tuesday and he played well and scored at Rotherham last weekend despite never starting a game before. Everyone has an important part to play.

“Even though everyone wants to start, nobody will get in a fuss if they are not starting. They have to be professional about it.

“We are happy to be winning games but it is only November, we have to enjoy it while we are winning and hopefully keep it going. The big thing last year for me at Derby was the togetherness of the squad and here it is the same, if not better. It is a bigger squad but still everyone is together, that helps to try to push for everyone where we want to go.”

Bamford was on loan at Derby when he helped them to the play-off final at Wembley, only to lose out to Queens Park Rangers, so he knows what is required to stay in the upper echelons of the division.

He said: “If you look at last season consistency was the key. There were so many games. Even if you lose one game you have to bounce back. Like we lost at Wolves, we then bounced back and beat Rotherham and Norwich. We have been scoring goals and keeping it tight – even on Tuesday we didn’t even play that well. It’s about keeping it going.”