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Isaiah Jones' three-year target at Middlesbrough and thoughts on 'up and down season'
ISAIAH JONES is hoping his new three-year contract will end with him having represented Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
Jones agreed a new deal earlier this week, ending any speculation over his long-term future as he committed himself to the Riverside to 2027.
The winger has already gone on quite a footballing journey, progressing from the non-league ranks at Tooting & Mitcham to Boro’s first team via a successful loan spell at Queen of the South.
As he looks ahead to his next three years on Teesside, the 24-year-old has his eyes well and truly trained on the top-flight.
“In three years’ time, then hopefully me and the club are in the Premier League,” said Jones. “That’s the aim.
“We only marginally missed out last season, and it was disappointing to lose in the play-off semi-finals. Hopefully, we can use that as fuel, and everything that’s happened this season, and go again next year and reach the end goal, which is the Premier League.”
The current campaign sees Boro sitting in ninth position ahead of their final three matches. Mathematically, they still have a chance of making the play-offs, although the eight-point gap separating them from sixth-placed Norwich City means a top-six finish is extremely unlikely.
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Missing out on the play-offs would be a blow, but with Boro’s squad having been ravaged by injury for much of the campaign, Jones feels there are mitigating factors that explain their fluctuating form.
“This season has been up and down, not just for me, but also for the club in general,” he said. “The amount of injuries we’ve had to deal with is not normal, but if you look at everything the gaffer has done, then I think he’s done an amazing job.
“He’s done brilliantly just to keep us in contention and talked about for the play-offs. We’ve got three more games to go, and we’re just going to give it our all and see what happens.
“It’s been a good season, 100 per cent, but I get that the fans want more. We also want more, but sometimes you’ve just got to look at the reality for us as a team, and the amount of injuries that we’ve had to deal with.
“It’s hard to deal with a lot of injuries and still try to have a sustainable team or starting XI. If you look at the season overall, we’ve got to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and played against a big team like Chelsea, and are still in contention, or at least being talked about, for the play-offs. It’s been a good season.”
And for Jones, the icing on the cake was the signing of the deal that ensures he will remain a key part of Boro’s first-team squad for the foreseeable future.
“I’m really happy to have signed a new deal,” he said, in an interview with Middlesbrough's official website. “It was an easy decision for me and my family. I’m really happy up here, and grateful to have signed the new contract.
“I still feel young, and I’m just grateful for every opportunity I’ve had, every day since I’ve been here. Long may that continue.”
