Carrick hails his Middlesbrough players after Chelsea Cup surprise

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick hailed the spirit of his players after their shock Carabao Cup semifinal win against Chelsea.

Hayden Hackney struck for the 1-0 first-leg win at the Riverside stadium.

Carrick later said: "The way they stuck together was very special and makes me proud to see that. It was great to see and a great feeling.

"I thought we managed the spaces well, they had some opportunities and we had to ride our luck a bit at times. We had to show a bit of everything and I'm buzzing.

"I know what it means to everyone, it was fantastic for me to see so many people so happy and it's pretty special. We know the task ahead of us. We will enjoy tonight and we have another massive game on Saturday.

"We will be ready for the next game [the second leg] and attack the game and see what happens. Football is about dreaming and things happen like tonight which probably shouldn't happen. We go there with our eyes wide open and know what to expect, but it won't stop us trying."