In Profile: Ryan Fraser
Adding experience at international and club level, the loan acquisition of Ryan Fraser adds another important cog to Russell Martin’s Southampton side.
His breakthrough came at 16 for hometown club Aberdeen, making his first team debut against Hearts in 2010 before impressing during the 2012-13 Scottish Premier League campaign; picking up Young Player of the Month for September and October of that season.
The first stay on the south coast started in January 2013, his impressive start across the border persuading Bournemouth to pay £400,000 as they sought promotion to the Championship with a second-place finish.
Over the next two campaigns Fraser made 58 second tier appearances for the Cherries, adding to his experience with a season at Ipswich Town during 2015/16.
His long-awaited Premier League debut came on matchday two of the 2016/17 season, featuring against West Ham and Crystal Palace before going on to make 28 top flight appearances, scoring three goals and registering eight assists.
Regularly impressing in the Premier League meant a senior Scotland call-up in March 2017, before making his debut during the 2-2 draw with England the following June.
Fraser’s standout season came during the 2018/19 season, Bournemouth’s fourth consecutive season in the top flight, which resulted in a 14th place finish.
His partnership with Callum Wilson saw him register seven goals and 14 assists, only Eden Hazard registered more that season.
These impressive assists numbers came alongside creating 28 goalscoring opportunities, the most in the Premier League.
A change of scenery came in September 2020, Fraser signing for Newcastle United on a five-year deal as he teamed up with team-mate Wilson again.
His time on Tyneside got off to the best possible start, scoring the winner on his debut during the 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup.
