Dael Fry has one box left to tick in a career that has spanned 306 matches since his professional debut 11 years ago – and he wants to do it with Birmingham City.
Blues stunned the Championship to sign Fry – widely regarded as one of the league’s leading defenders – from boyhood club Middlesbrough at the beginning of July. The 28-year-old was a key player for Boro last term, captaining them to a play-off final defeat to Hull City and presiding over one of the league’s best defensive records.
Promotion ambition drives Fry to Blues
Fry has a Championship promotion on his CV, albeit he was a bit-part player when Aitor Karanka’s Boro went up in 2016, but he has never tasted life in the Premier League. Shortly after Boro’s promotion, Fry was loaned to Championship side Rotherham to gain more experience and missed out on minutes in the top-flight.
“That is something that’s always played on my mind,” Fry admits. “We all set goals when we’re kids, what we want to do in our careers, and the main ambition is to be in the best league in the world and personally it’s frustrating I haven’t managed to do that with Middlesbrough over 11, 12 years. I didn’t manage to do it. I’m at a different place now, the club is really ambitious and want to be competing at the top-end of the Championship this year.”
Blues' ambitious project attracts Fry
Blues’ owners Knighthead are extremely ambitious and are building for the Premier League in the knowledge that the Championship will be tougher than ever this year. Relegated trio West Ham, Wolves and Burnley are undeniably favourites to return to the promised land. Fry came within a whisker of realising that dream with Boro two months ago and the wound is still fresh.
It is part of the reason why he sought a fresh start in Birmingham, moving away from his beloved Teesside for the first time. “I just needed a change,” he adds. “At Middlesbrough we tried and tried and tried but just couldn’t quite get over the line and I just thought, right, let’s just try something different. I’ve already seen in training the quality of the lads and it’s right up there. I’ve seen a lot of quality in the Championship and this group is right up there.”
Set-piece threat adds new dimension
Fry’s bread and butter is defending but, following the appointment of set piece coach Scott Fry – absolutely no relation – he will be expected to contribute at the other end too. He recorded his best-ever goal-scoring season for Boro last season with three, including one against Blues at The Riverside, and Fry is confident that there are more to come.
Fry said: “As a defender you just think about blocking shots, crosses and defending the goal, but set pieces now are a massive part of the game. Some games are being decided by set pieces, they can definitely win you a game. The set piece coach came in and we did a session with him today. The level of detail that he goes into is brilliant. If everyone does their jobs right, we should get more goals from set pieces. I got three last year and I should have got a lot more. I got a lot of first contacts. As a centre-half, I want to add more goals to my game. I’ve got targets written out on my phone – I don’t want to give them away – so hopefully this year I can get more goals.”
