Tommy Conway has quietly become one of Middlesbrough's most important players this season, and he is doing it from a position he never occupied before Kim Hellberg arrived. The 24-year-old, still wearing the number nine shirt, is now operating primarily as a left winger, and by his own account he is learning the craft week by week rather than resenting the reassignment.

A sideways shift, not a demotion

Conway joined Boro from Bristol City two years ago as an out-and-out striker, and he delivered on that brief, scoring 13 goals in each of his first two Championship campaigns. That is a consistent return at this level, the kind of output most second-tier managers would settle for. When Hellberg took charge and reordered the attack, Conway had a choice: dig in or adapt. He chose the latter.

"I could have chucked my toys out of the pram saying I wanted to be the number nine and play through the middle, but that's not me," Conway told BBC Radio Tees. "I just want to play and help the team in any way, shape or form."

That is easy to say and harder to demonstrate. Conway has demonstrated it. His most significant contribution so far this season was a precise left-footed cross from the left flank that set up Will Lankshear for a winning goal in the home victory over Wolves. That crossing ability is not an innate winger's skill for a player who built his career running in behind; it is something he has worked on deliberately.

"I'm now learning every day to be a left winger and I feel like I'm getting better every week," he said. "I'm getting more confident coming up against full-backs because it's not something I would have done throughout my career growing up."

Lankshear takes the burden; Conway adds the craft

Hellberg's system has handed the primary goalscoring responsibility to Lankshear, who has already reached 11 for the campaign after a summer arrival from Tottenham. That sort of productivity from the central striker means Conway does not need to chase a personal tally; three assists from ten appearances suggests he is finding genuine value in the wider role rather than merely filling a gap.

Conway also grabbed his first goal of the season in Boro's 2-2 draw with Cardiff City, scoring first as Middlesbrough came from two goals down at the interval to earn a point. The caveat worth noting is that ten appearances and a handful of assists is not yet a large enough sample to conclude that the positional change is a settled success. A good run of four or five games can flatter any tactical tweak; what matters is whether Conway is still contributing when opponents have worked out how to sit against Hellberg's shape.

Returning from a serious injury

Context matters here. Conway fractured his ankle in the second leg of Middlesbrough's play-off semi-final against Southampton last May, an injury that ended his season in the cruellest circumstances and ruled him out of Scotland's World Cup campaign. He has spent the first two months of this season rebuilding match sharpness, and his performance against Wolves, which he described as feeling "back to my best", was only his ninth appearance back.

The Cardiff match was the first time he completed 90 minutes in five months. That is worth keeping in mind when assessing his output: he has contributed three assists and a goal while not yet fully fit. If he sustains his current form as sharpness returns, the wider role may prove to be the making of a player who has already been reliable at this level. For now, Middlesbrough have a footballer who is buying in, grafting at something unfamiliar, and producing at the right moments. In the Championship, that attitude tends to matter as much as the tactics written on a whiteboard.

Frequently asked

What position is Tommy Conway playing for Middlesbrough this season?
Conway has been moved to left winger by manager Kim Hellberg, despite still wearing the number nine shirt. He had previously played as a central striker throughout his career, including his first two seasons at Boro.
How many goals and assists has Tommy Conway got for Middlesbrough this season?
In his first ten appearances of the season, Conway scored one goal, in the 2-2 draw with Cardiff City, and contributed three assists, including a cross for Will Lankshear's winner against Wolves.
When did Tommy Conway get injured and is he fully fit now?
Conway fractured his ankle in the Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Southampton in May. He returned this season but has taken a couple of months to regain full fitness, completing his first 90-minute game in five months against Cardiff.