Seasiders sign former Middlesbrough academy defender

The 23-year-old, no-nonsense defender returns to England after a stint abroad playing in Iceland’s second division, where he was a solid part of Kórdrengir’s backline.

He made 31 league appearances in total for Kórdrengir and helped the club clinch a fifth-placed finish during the 2022 season, featuring in over 82% of their league matches during that campaign.

Dale previously came through Middlesbrough’s youth academy system, playing prolifically for Boro’s development teams.

He played 22 games for Middlesbrough in the U18s Premier League and then graduated to the U21s, where he made a further 29 appearances in the Premier League 2 before signing for Gateshead ahead of his move to Iceland.

Now Dale is back and ready to spearhead the Seasiders' 2023/24 campaign.

Speaking about his first signing since taking over as Marske United manager, Graeme Lee said: "It's great to get Nathan signed up, someone I’ve work with at Middlesbrough FC.

"He's a very good player who was a pleasure to coach, always wants to do things right. He was always consistent in his performances and I'm looking forward to working with him again."

Discussing the motivations behind his move to the Northern Premier League side, Dale said: “One of the main reasons I am joining the club is my history of working with Spike [Graeme Lee]. I think he is a really good manager. We have a great relationship.

“I have been playing in Iceland the past couple of years and it is nice to relocate back home. I’m from Redcar myself, and it is five minutes away for me so that’s a bonus.

“I know that we have really good fans here. I’ve seen how many supporters we can get, which is good for the league.

"Hopefully as a team, we can make them happy and enjoy coming to the games."

Photo credit: Middlesbrough