By OkayGoal 
Four days after officially signing for EFL Championship side Middlesbrough, Sebastian Berhalter got his first taste of life with the club.
Berhalter started and played 74 minutes on Saturday in Middlesbrough’s 3-3 preseason draw with Espanyol at the Riverside Stadium. The U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder teamed up with fellow American Aidan Morris in the heart of Kim Hellberg’s starting lineup and walked away with one assist.
With Espanyol leading 3-2 in the second half, Berhalter’s corner kick was headed home by Leo Castledine for his second goal of the match and Boro’s equalizer. It marked Berhalter’s first goal contribution for the Teesside club, albeit not in a competitive match.
Berhalter delivered a lively first impression in Middlesbrough colors, giving the home fans an early glimpse of his long-term potential this season. The 25-year-old will help push Middlesbrough in the Championship’s promotion race this season after Hellberg’s men lost in the promotion final last May to Hull City.
Hellberg has only just started working with Berhalter earlier this week, but can already see the quality he brings to the Middlesbrough squad.
“It was good, he’s been with us for a long week so that’s difficult but you can see the quality he has, especially from the set piece, but also in open play,” Hellberg said about Berhalter in his postmatch club interview.
“He will get better, he’s a talented boy that runs a lot, that wants a lot, that wants to train and fight, so he’s a very good addition to us,” Hellberg added. “We just need to give him a little bit of time to keep improving and get into our team.”
Morris played 86 minutes as he prepares for his third full season with the club.
Middlesbrough will officially kick off its competitive schedule on Friday when they host Wrexham in the EFL Cup’s first round.