Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry has made clear that his side’s goal is promotion, but that they must take each game as it comes in order to not get carried away with their lofty position in the league. Daniel Wales reports.
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00:00For Dale Fry, playing for Middlesbrough means more. As someone who hails from
00:05Teesside, representing his hometown club for nearly all of his playing career is
00:09the stuff that dreams are made of. With Borough currently in the hunt for a
00:13playoff spot in the championship this season, there is a real chance he could
00:17play for them in the Premier League. The idea of wearing the Middlesbrough red in
00:21England's top division certainly seemed a long way off for Fry, as he recovered
00:25from a pelvic injury which kept him sidelined for around nine months this
00:29year. Having made his return to playing recently, he made clear what the aim is
00:34for the rest of the season.
00:39This he did at the annual Middlesbrough Christmas party for champion children
00:43at the Riverside Stadium, adorning some rather festive headwear for the occasion.
00:49You know everybody knows the main goal is you know promotion whether it's a
00:52playoffs or going up from the top two but it's important as well not get
00:56carried away with that as you always take one game as it comes because you
00:59can get caught looking at the end goal but really what matters is the next game
01:02and you know the lads are focused you know every game's hard in the
01:05championship so we're just you know trying to chip away especially over this
01:08Christmas period there's a lot of games and you know you can really kick on from
01:11then. Fry added that his teammates were fully aware of who they represent in the
01:16stands. You know I don't think they need reminding, I think you know the seeded
01:20support that we get you know on the weekend and also I've mentioned before
01:24that I spoke to one of the lads in the dressing room before we came here and he said
01:27you seen on Instagram that it sold out on Boxing Day and he was he was
01:31absolutely over the moon and he's from Brazil do you know what I mean so that just shows
01:33you know the lads don't need extra motivation we already see it and you
01:37know we got a lot of support from the fans as well. On Michael Carrick Fry was
01:41full of praise and talked of the detail he incorporates Interborough's tactics
01:46and setup. Yeah you know the gaffer's you know the gaffer's top on the training
01:51pitch you know he's a lot of information goes into a lot of attention to detail
01:55all of his backroom staff as well and it's crazy because you wouldn't think
01:59that he's actually you know being in the dressing rooms of the players that he has
02:01done because you know he's so down to earth and he never brings up his
02:04career but no he's excellent to work with, very calm approach and when we go out on
02:10the pitch everybody knows what they're doing. Middlesbrough have the opportunity
02:14to achieve something special this season which will be forefront in Fry's
02:19mind. There is certainly a good feeling amongst the squad in terms of what they
02:23are capable of despite the quality of the teams around them in the
02:27championship. Does this season, does this squad feel special to you just
02:32sort of where you are in the league, some of the the games you're winning, some of the
02:35goals you're scoring, does it feel like things are really coming together this
02:38season? Yeah it does, like I say we've got we've got players all over the place who
02:41can do a job you know we've probably got lads who've been on the bench who
02:45could probably get any side in the championship really and like I say we've
02:49had a few illnesses, a few injuries but the lads who've come in you know they've
02:52done really well and I think we've given the manager a bit of a headache at
02:55times you know with his starting XI which is you know good problems to have.