Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick says facing Wanderers was a good test for his squad as they prepare for the upcoming Championship campaign.

It was a competitive fixture for 60 minutes before the Whites made changes, with several B Team prospects thrown in at the deep end due to injuries in the squad.

Boro eventually ran out 3-0 winners after goals from Manu Latte Lath, Sonny Finch and Delano Burgzorg in Bishop Auckland.

“It was a good game, Bolton are a good team,” Carrick told the club’s official channels after the final whistle.

“We found that out last season when we played them in cup, which was one of the reasons we wanted to play them again.

“They are coached really well, Ian has done a really good job with them and they’ll probably feel they should be in our league next season.

“It was a good workout for us, probably what you would expect. There are things for us to work on in a good way.

“We are learning all the time about the group and the balance of the new lads coming in. We played some good football at times, looked dangerous and scored some good goals.”

“They played the game properly,” he continued. “They played the game in a good way and for large spells, it was a good contest.”

Boro finished eighth in the second tier last season, missing out on a play-off spot by four points.

“We are in a good place,” the manager continued. “We have got games coming thick and fast over the next couple of weeks. It is all about getting ready for the start of the season.

“It is always the case that you can’t really judge players in pre-season games, it is about putting us in a position where we feel ready. The boys have learnt a lot and I think we are building towards that.”