Ryan Fredericks to get his shot for Middlesbrough

Tottenham Hotspur sent Ryan Fredericks on loan to Championship club Middlesborough late in the summer, and he's about to get a big chance there. Boro fullback Damia Abella has torn his ACL, meaning Fredericks is going to step in.

Here's what Boro manager Aitor Karanka had to say about Fredericks.

"He's ready. I told him on Monday he would play on Saturday because I was going to rest Damia so he was ready He's powerful, he has energy and he knows the league. He played for Millwall last season. He likes getting forward and we are working with him. I have no doubts that he will play well."

For those a bit unfamiliar with Fredericks, he's undergoing the same type of early 20s transformation that Danny Rose went through. He's not quite creative enough to make it as a top class winger, but if he can learn how to defend, he might be a Premier League fullback. He did pretty well on loan at Millwall last year and has been encouraging in Europa League and friendly action for Spurs.

The imminent arrival of DeAndre Yedlin means Fredericks certainly isn't thought of as a top prospect by Spurs, but it's still very cool that he's getting this opportunity, and we hope that he does enough with it that he's a nailed on first choice player somewhere next season.