Jonathan Franks: Breaking through at Boro to ending up in Iceland

Jonathan Franks moved north to join Hartlepool when he left Middlesbrough in 2012 – but he probably didn’t expect he’d end up moving as far north as Iceland.

Franks played once for Boro in the Premier League in 2009 and remained on the books at his boyhood club for three more years in the Championship before departing in search of regular first-team football.

He found that for three years at Hartlepool and then, after spells in the Scottish Premiership and the National League, spent two seasons with top Icelandic side IBV.

“I had a call about coming over to Iceland and another English lad, David Atkinson, who was there at the time, spoke to me about moving there, too,” Franks says.

“I discussed it with my girlfriend and we decided not to go for it as it wasn’t worth it financially, but IBV came back with a better deal.

“We had always wanted to go and live abroad at some point, so we went for it.”

Vestmannaeyjar is a long way across the North Sea from Middlesbrough, who Franks signed for as a youngster after he was spotted playing for his local junior team.

A lifelong Boro supporter, his talent was such that he was playing for their reserve team at just 15 before signing a professional contract two years later.

He trained under Steve McClaren before being brought into the first-team picture under Gareth Southgate and making his debut in Boro’s final game of the 2008-2009 season at Upton Park against West Ham United.

It was, however, a day of contrasting fortunes as Southgate’s side were relegated from the Premier League.

“I had been on the bench a couple of times that season and remember being told to go and warm up, but not getting on,” he says.

“I wasn’t too disappointed because it was great for me, as a young player,