Middlesbrough will face Preston North End in a Championship match on Saturday afternoon.
Boro are looking to reduce the gap between themselves and their promotion rivals when they meet Preston this weekend. After a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City in their last match, Middlesbrough climbed to seventh place in the Championship table.
However, they remain five points behind a strong Sunderland side, making it crucial for Boro to secure all three points at the Riverside Stadium on September 14th.
Preston, meanwhile, are hovering near the relegation zone, with just one win and three losses from their first four Championship matches.
Although Middlesbrough are favored to beat Preston this weekend, fans may still be cautious, especially after unexpected results against Derby County and Portsmouth earlier this season.
In the lead-up to Saturday’s game, we take a look at five of the best Middlesbrough players who have also played for Preston…
David Nugent
David Nugent joined Middlesbrough from Leicester City in August 2015 and played a crucial role in their promotion-winning campaign. The striker contributed nine goals and eight assists in 45 appearances for Boro before moving to Derby County in January 2017. Later, Nugent signed for Preston in August 2019, where he made 132 appearances before retiring in 2021.
Adam Reach, a product of Middlesbrough’s academy, made 77 appearances for the club before being sold to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016. During his time at Boro, he had several loan spells, including one at Preston for the 2015/16 season, where he played 36 games, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
Sam Greenwood
Middlesbrough loaned Sam Greenwood from Leeds United for the 2023/24 season. Although Greenwood started well, his performance declined towards the end of the season, leading Boro to decide against a permanent transfer. He has since joined Preston on loan for the 2024/25 season and is expected to feature in their lineup at the Riverside this weekend.
Jordan Hugill was signed by Preston for under £50,000 in July 2014 and quickly showed his potential. West Ham United acquired him for around £10 million in January 2018, and he was loaned to Middlesbrough for the 2018/19 season. The now 32-year-old scored seven goals and provided two assists in 41 appearances for Boro. He is currently playing in League One with Rotherham United.
Middlesbrough also had Cameron Archer on loan from Aston Villa for the second half of the 2022/23 season. Archer played a key role in Boro’s play-off campaign, contributing 11 goals and six assists. He had a previous loan stint at Preston in the second half of the 2021/22 season, scoring seven goals in 20 appearances. Archer has recently moved to Southampton in the Premier League after completing a permanent transfer from Villa Park last month.
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