The Stockton-born 19-yearold scored his second Boro goal in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Preston as he made his 12th senior appearance of the calendar year.
Such a high level of involvement stands in marked contrast to the beginning of the campaign, when former manager Gareth Southgate restricted Franks to only one substitute outing in the 14 fixtures before he was dismissed.
I'd been playing in preseason, but when the season started under the old manager, I wasn't really getting a look in, said the teenager. I wasn't really featuring at all, so to be honest, I was thinking about asking for a loan move just so I could play a bit of football.
But there was obviously a change of manager, and the new gaffer has given me a chance. I think he knows what I can do now, and my challenge for the rest of the season is to make it hard for him to drop me. I want to be a major part of this team.
What part that is remains open to debate, with Franks already having played as a centre-forward, left midfielder and right winger during his spell in the first-team squad.
Most of his reserve and academy-level football was played at centre-forward, but in the absence of the recently- departed Adam Johnson, Strachan clearly sees the youngster as a useful option on the left-hand side.
To be honest, I was just concentrating on hitting the ball down, because I could have seen it going over the bar the way things had been going, he joked. If we're honest, I don't think any of us would say that was our best display of the season.
But playing in midfield means I can make runs to score goals like that. If the game's stretched, I'd prefer to be up front because I like to play on the shoulders of players.
I like getting the ball, running at people and taking people on, that's my game.
But I like to play on the wing as well, because sometimes you can make runs that aren't as easily picked up.
Meanwhile, Boro have confirmed that Scott McDonald will not be available until after Easter because of a hamstring injury.
Source: Northern Echo
Source: Northern Echo