Southgate rewards Boro’s Fry with England training spot

From playing in the Championship to finding yourself on the same training field as the England senior captain – Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry has enjoyed a whirlwind week.

The 19-year-old is currently on loan with Rotherham United, in the Championship, but got called up to the England Under-20 team for the Four Nations tournament against the Netherlands, Germany and the USA.

While training at St George’s Park, interim England boss and former Boro stalwart Gareth Southgate was in need of some extra bodies to boost his first team training session, so Fry got the nod.

“It came as a total surprise and was amazing for me,” said Fry.

“It was great to be training alongside fantastic players like Wayne Rooney, and with Gareth as the manager too – he was one of my heroes growing up as a Boro fan.

“Obviously, my goal is to try and make it more of a regular thing in the years to come, but I know I’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of me before I can even think about that.

“It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The central defender recently signed a five-year contract extension with Boro and sees England youth appearances as key to his development.

England won all three of their fixtures in the tournament, giving Fry valuable international experience as he looks to impress his coaches at Rotherham and Boro.

“These tournaments are so important – and we could come up against teams like these in the World Cup,” he added.

“It’s always good to come away with England and even better to get a trophy.

“We are really pleased to have not just won it, but to do it with three victories and only conceding one goal makes it a bit more special.”