THE strength of Aitor Karanka’s relationship with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho might be well known, but Middlesbrough’s head coach has revealed his friendship with Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is almost as close.

Milos Veljkovic, a 19-year-old Serbia youth international, became the second Tottenham player to move on loan to the Riverside when he agreed terms until the middle of January yesterday.

Karanka’s recruitment of three Chelsea players – Jamal Blackman, Kenneth Omeruo and Patrick Bamford – owes much to his close ties with Mourinho, with the pair having worked together for three years at Real Madrid.

And with Veljkovic having joined full-back Ryan Fredericks on loan from Spurs, the Boro head coach has revealed that his personal ties with Pochettino have also enabled him to raid the best young talent at White Hart Lane.

“I took my coaching licence with Mauricio and know him very well,” said Karanka. “I don’t know how many times I played against him in Spain, but it was quite a few.

“I have a very good relationship with him because for three different levels of the coaching qualifications, we worked together on the same course. He is someone I have to spoken to quite a lot recently because we have had Ryan with us, and now Milos has arrived too.”

Velkjovic trained with his new team-mates for the first time yesterday morning and is expected to be part of the squad that heads south later today ahead of tomorrow’s game at Brighton.

The teenager has made two senior appearances for Spurs this season, taking on Dnipro and Benfica in the Europa League, and his versatility was a key factor in Karanka’s decision to sign him for the next three months.

Most of Velkjovic’s action for Tottenham has come as a defensive midfielder, but he has also played at centre-half, and having watched him in action for Serbia Under-19s during the recent international break, Karanka regards the back four as the youngster’s more natural habitat.

“For me, he is more of a central defender,” he said. “In the last two games (for Serbia Under-19s) against Spain, he played as a central defender.

“When you have the quality that Milos has, you can play as either a defender or in central midfield. I will use him in the position where we need him most. I spoke with him before he came here and told him that I am going to use him in both positions.

“He is here to challenge for a place in the team. If he gets his chance and takes it, he will keep on playing because I always say that the age of a player is not important to me.

“The most important thing is the performance on the training ground and the pitch, and Milos knows that when his chance comes around – and he will get one – if he takes it, he will carry on in the team.”

Fredericks’ presence should help Velkjovic settle as the pair have made a number of appearances together for Tottenham’s development team.

With Damia Abella unavailable until at least the New Year, Fredericks is enjoying an extended run as Boro’s first-choice right-back and his bright, attacking displays have made quite an impression.

Last season, Kenneth Omeruo forced his way into Nigeria’s World Cup squad on the back of a string of eye-catching performances in the Boro back four, and with Fredericks having previously represented England at Under-19 level, Karanka is hoping the lure of a place in next summer’s European Under-21 Championships will help inspire the youngster to even greater heights.

“I am not the Under-21 national coach, but I have very good relations with Gareth (Southgate) because he used to play here and is a very good man,” he said. “I worked in the Spanish national team, so I know how it is to work in the national team of a country.

“For Ryan, it could be a very good motivation to keep driving him on until the end of the season. He’s training very well, is a very good lad and I am happy with him here.”

Ben Gibson is already an integral member of the England Under-21 squad, with his performances in the two-legged semi-final against Croatia playing a major role in guiding Southgate’s side to next summer’s Euro finals in Czech Republic.

Southgate has been delighted with Gibson and Bamford’s efforts over the course of the qualifying campaign, with the former in particular having enhanced his reputation considerably on the international stage.

“I had some very good feedback from Gareth about Ben and Patrick, but especially about Gibbo because he was the player who played (against Croatia),” said Karanka.

“It is important for him. He lost his position in the team for the last couple of matches, but he has recovered his confidence and that is good. He has to play well here to keep playing for England.”

All of Boro’s international players returned to the North-East unscathed, but Jonathan Woodgate remains three weeks away from a first-team return and is joined on the long-term injury list by Abella, Rhys Williams and Mustapha Carayol.