Middlesbrough attacker Marcus Tavernier has suggested that he believes his team-mate Dael Fry can go as far in the game as he wants and has backed him to one day become an England international.
Fry and Tavernier have both come through Middlesbrough’s youth academy in recent seasons, and they are both now fully established members of Boro’s first-team squad under Neil Warnock.
The duo have regularly been receiving interest in the transfer market from teams in the Premier League. It could be very difficult for Boro to hang onto the pair in the next few years unless they earn promotion to the top-flight.
It has been a challenging start to the season for Middlesbrough, but Fry has been one of their bright sparks with the defender managing to win an average of 6.9 duels per game as well as making 3.1 clearances and one tackle per match.
Speaking in a recent edition of Middlesbrough’s match day programme, via Teesside Live, Tavernier insisted that Fry can achieve whatever he wants to in the game and he feels he will one day soon be in the Premier League and potentially playing for England.
He said: "Big Dael Fry. I've played with him since I first came to the academy. He was unbelievable then and he's unbelievable now.
"What can he achieve? Anything he wants. I think he'll be in the Premier League in a couple of years and I think when he's there he will go on and play for England.
“The world is his oyster.”
The verdict
Fry is undoubtedly one of the finest talents that Middlesbrough have produced from their academy in a while. It would be no surprise to see him one day earn international recognition with England, but that of course would mean he needs to be playing in the Premier League.
There is no shortage of admirers of Fry in terms of clubs in the Premier League and Boro have even in the past had to turn down an offer from Burnley for his services.
Eventually, you would imagine that Middlesbrough will have to allow the defender to leave the club if they can not get into the top-flight themselves.
Tavernier is right that Fry is someone that has all of the talent to make it to the highest level and it is a testament to the work that Boro do with their academy that they have been able to produce such a talented asset.
It will be interesting to see where the next few years take Fry in terms of his development. Middlesbrough are under pressure to try and get promoted so that they can ensure that they keep hold of him for the long-term.