DAEL FRY is desperate to get Middlesbrough promoted to pay back Jonathan Woodgate’s faith – and celebrate it all with a testimonial.
The 27-year-old defender, who produced a man of the match display in Sunday’s Championship draw with Burnley, has amazingly already surpassed TWO DECADES at his hometown club.
And the start of 2025, which begins with a trip to Yorkshire rivals Hull City today, also means that he is closing in on the ten-year anniversary of his first-team debut.
Fry, who won both the U17 European Championship and U20 World Cup with England, was thrust into action amid an injury crisis on the opening day of the 2015/16 season.
The then 17-year-old produced a brilliant performance in the goalless draw away at Preston and ended up making a further six appearances in what transpired to be a promotion-winning campaign under Aitor Karanka.
Fry said: “It feels like yesterday. I told my mum and dad and they were absolutely buzzing.
“I just remember being so nervous but at Preston you walk out in the corner and I saw all the red in the away stand, it was all sold out, and I just thought ‘wow, these are the games you want to play in’.
“As soon as the game kicked off the nerves went, we drew 0-0, but it’s mad how quick time goes.”
Fry spent half of the following season on loan at Rotherham as Boro suffered relegation – and they are still waiting to return to the top-flight.
Since then he has amassed 259 appearances for the team he grew up supporting under six different permanent managers.
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One of those was fellow Teessider Woodgate, the ex-Leeds, Newcastle and Real Madrid centre-half.
He regularly spoke about the talents of Fry during his ill-fated spell in charge that ended just after the return from Covid in 2020 after the club slipped deep into relegation trouble.
However, despite the star suffering several injury issues during that stint, he is now desperate to repay the faith shown in him with Woodgate back at the Riverside as Michael Carrick’s assistant.
Fry said: “I still look back on that time of my career with a bit of regret. Woody had so much faith in me and it was so stop-start for me and I had loads of little niggles.
“I always heard the stuff he was saying and I really wanted to back that up for him and prove him right but I never felt like I did.
“Now I actually feel like I can do that. I train with Woody day in, day out and he’s so good with the defensive lads.”
Fry has seen a host of players come and go over the past decade, but despite three draws over the festive period, he believes this team feels like it could be the one to deliver Premier League football again.
He said: “You know what, we’ve had some really good squads over the years but we haven’t quite made it.
“This year, I feel there’s something different, there’s a lot of quality at the top end of the pitch.
Even at the back we are conceding less goals now and scoring more.
“The year that we got promoted, I really feel like there is a little bit of that feeling coming back and we’ve got a right good chance.”
While Fry is desperate for the life-changing Prem experience on the pitch, off it he revealed how the arrival of his first child, a baby girl, 17 months ago transformed him personally.
“That was the hardest year of my life, the first one, with the nightfeeds,” he said.
“I didn’t realise how much your life would change but now she is walking, talking and I’m really enjoying it and it’s fantastic.
I train with Woody day in, day out and he’s so good with the defensive lads.
Dael Fry
“There are things more important than football and I’ve realised that since becoming a father. As hard as it is, it’s beautiful.”
While Fry is close to completing his tenth season in the first-team, he admits 2024 has been a year to forget after recently returning from a nine-month absence.
He said: “At first we didn’t know the severity of the injury. I was just sort of getting injections and trying to deal with it. But then we decided we couldn’t keep going like that, I needed to know what it was and deal with it.
“In the summer I ended up getting surgery (double hernia) but came back a little bit too early and done my calf twice. So I thought, I’m going to use this time and was in the gym, doing all my conditioning, eating right and the past nine weeks for me have been top. I feel like I’m in the best shape I can be in.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot more to give with Middlesbrough. This is the best that I’ve felt in my career.
“I’ve been in and out injured quite a bit but now I’ve got no niggles, no injuries and hopefully I can continue for a lot more years at Middlesbrough.”
Testimonials are a rarity these days, but while Fry is aware of them, his immediate aim is to kick off a bumper 2025 by helping them climb out of the Championship.
He added: “Yeah I do know what a testimonial is. My sister just reminded me the other day that it’s my 20th year at the club. When she said it I just thought that it was absolutely mental. It’s bizarre.
“For me, to do that for my hometown team is surreal and the next step is to get Middlesbrough promoted and to play for them in the Premier League.
“I want to be in the Premier League with Middlesbrough. I did think that would have come a bit sooner but it hasn’t been meant to be. But this year there’s just a different feeling.
“Even with the coaching staff. It just feels a little bit different.”
