Carlisle United have today signed Boro keeper Joe Fryer on a season long loan deal which keeps him at Brunton Park until the summer of 2019.
Durham-born Fryer, 23 in November, was snapped up by Middlesbrough as a 15-year old and worked his way through the academy system at the Riverside to earn his first starts with the club during their group stage Checkatrade Trophy games at the beginning of the 2016/17 campaign.
The 6ft 4” stopper joined Hartlepool United for six months in the January 2017 transfer window and played in the 1-1 draw at Victoria Park against the Cumbrians, with Jabo Ibehre bagging an early goal for the Blues in that game. He made a total of 14 appearances for Pools through his six-month stay.
Stevenage stepped in to take him on a season long loan last June, and he went on to make 32 appearances in all competitions for the Broadhall Way based outfit.
He kept a clean sheet for the Boro when they came to Brunton Park last September, with strikes from Ben Kennedy and Tom Pett securing their two-goal away victory.
Manager John Sheridan said: “We’re pleased to get Joe into the building. He’s a young keeper who did really well at Stevenage last year so he knows this league.
"He wanted to come out on loan again and thankfully Middlesbrough have allowed him to do that. He’s a really good addition and we’re pleased to have him here.
“We’re still four or five players short so I’ll be working hard to try and get them in as quickly as I can, but we’re pleased to get the first keeper in. We obviously need another one to come in and compete against him.
"It’s good to be able to get Joe in at the start of pre-season so he gets used to the way we work and the way we want to try and play.”
This deal remains subject to the clearance of all paperwork.