Although it may not seem like it, Manchester United and Middlesbrough have a fair bit in common. For one, they both begin with the letter M and play in red.
Arguably their most beloved managers were of Scottish heritage (Sir Alex Ferguson and Bruce Rioch).
The two teams have won the Europa League – previously named the UEFA Cup – once. They shared legendary players such as Bryan Robson, Paul Ince, Gary Pallister and Viv Anderson, among others.
United and Boro will also be on the same pitch tomorrow as they battle one another in the FA Cup fourth round, with Old Trafford set to host some familiar faces.
While some iconic figures have donned the two blood-coloured jerseys, a few less memorable names could be in action tomorrow.
United’s old flames
Duncan Watmore came through the Red Devils academy but moved to non-league Altrincham without getting close to the first team.
After representing Sunderland for seven years, via a quick pit stop in Scotland, he joined Middlesbrough in 2020, where the forward has played consistently since.
Matt Crooks is another Born player who joined United’s ranks at a young age and is a supporter of the Premier League side. Like Watmore, the midfielder didn’t get as much as a sniff of a starting berth before being shipped out.
Nine footballing destinations later and Crooks could face his ex-employers on Friday night.
There’s another player in Chris Wilder’s ranks who has arguably an even greater attachment to Manchester United.
McNair now United’s nemesis
Paddy McNair played 27 times for United after being promoted from the academy by David Moyes in 2014.
He made 16 top-flight appearances in his debut season under Ferguson’s successor yet fell out of favour the minute Moyes was sacked. The 26-year-old only featured twice in the FA Cup and never in Europe.
McNair linked up with Watmore at Sunderland, where he spent a couple of campaigns ahead of his eventual transfer to the Riverside Stadium almost half a decade ago.
Despite being away from United since 2016, the Northern Ireland international has never faced his old club.
In little more than 24 hours, that could all change.
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