Zeki Fryers is waiting to play the first League One game of his career as he hopes to help the Reds back to the Championship where he feels he belongs, if not higher.
The 26-year-old left-back has spent most of his career in the Premier League – with clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – and the Championship including last season when he was relegated with the Reds. He has missed the first three months of the season due to an ankle injury picked up at Salford in a July friendly which was followed by a knee problem.
Fryers said: “The idea is to get back to the Championship as soon as we can. It’s the main aim for the club and for me personally. The lads have been doing really well so, if we continue that, there is no reason we can’t go up because we have a really strong squad with a lot of good players. When I was at those bigger clubs I was really young.
“But now I am older and wiser and I want to get back to that level because I know I have got the ability and quality. It is just about getting the consistency and the opportunities to play because I didn’t get many opportunities where I was before.”
Fryers returned from his injury in the Checkatrade Trophy win over Everton, in which he played at centre-back, then he reverted to left-back for the 4-0 FA Cup win over Notts County. He scored his second Barnsley goal against the Magpies, a year and a week after his first against Birmingham City in the Championship.He is now hoping to compete with Dani Pinillos to start in league games.
“It was my second 90 minutes in a week so my legs started to feel it at the end. But I am delighted to be getting gametime after coming back from injury.
“My main position is left-back but, if I have to play somewhere else, I will do it. I am just happy to play because I have been injured which was very frustrating.
“We had a new manager in pre-season and it was my chance to impress him but I couldn’t do that because I was injured. I have had lots of chats with him and he has given me an opportunity so hopefully there is more to come.
"The idea is to play a lot more now, but there is a lot of competition.”
