Fredericks to learn defensive positioning at Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough have signed Tottenham Hotspur youngster Ryan Fredericks on a season-long loan while Fredericks has been given a specific objective in how to develop his game.

Fredericks to learn defensive positioning at Middlesbrough


The Championship side haven't just loaned a player they reveal but have loaned a player to help him develop a certain aspect of his game. This will have been discussed between Ugo Ehiogu and Fredericks but also between Ehiogu and the Head Coach at Middlesbrough. Ryan has pace, essential in the modern day full-back, who is not so much a defender as an attacker who defends.

Clubs look for the qualities going forward and then teach the qualities going backwards, the defending. Ryan Fredericks has been asked to work on his positioning and Middlesbrough were happy to help him do that as their Head Coach, Aitor Karanka, explained to their official club website.

“Ryan is a good lad, which is the most important thing for me when signing a player. When I bring players in, I always check what they are like as a person because it’s important for me to have a good atmosphere in the changing room. 
“Ryan is a player who can help us going forward because he’s a defender with an attacking mentality. He can learn a lot with us. We’re going to try and help him develop his defending positioning because he’s young and aggressive and likes to go forward.”

The 21-year-old Fredericks will be at Middlesborough for the remainder of the 2014/15 season after joining them on Thursday. Some Spurs fans were suggesting Kyle Naughton should be sold and saw him as reserve right-back but they over estimate our youth. Players like 21-year-old Spaniard Cristian Ceballos and Ryan Fredericks are not ready for Premier League football, the fact Fredericks featured so little in pre-season when 10 players were missing told us that.

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This season is an important one in his development with the signing of 21-year-old American DeAndre Yedlin, who at the same age has played in a World Cup for his country. Spurs job is to develop players, not all will play for Tottenham in the future, it is equally important to develop players to sell and fund the Academy, being financially self sufficient will be part of it's remit.

To break into the Tottenham team will be tough, Kyle Walker is only 24-years-old so after this development spell his future may eventually lie elsewhere.