Middlesbrough return to action after the March international break on Friday afternoon.
Michael Carrick‘s side make the long trip south to St Mary’s to face Southampton.
‘Boro go into that game knowing there is a good chance they need to win it. They are currently 10th in the Championship table, seven points adrift of the play-off places.
With eight games left to play, that means Middlesbrough surely need a win here, to keep their top six hopes alive.
But with Southampton 4th in the standings and still chasing automatic promotion, this could be a tough ask for Carrick and co.
Indeed, ‘Boro have not won at St Mary’s since 2003, when Malcolm Christie’s 13th minute strike secured a 1-0 win for a side managed by Steve McLaren at the time.
Here, we’ve taken a look back at Middlesbrough’s starting XI from that particular match…
Mark Schwarzer is a Middlesbrough legend
Mark Schwarzer spent 12 years with ‘Boro between 1996 and 2008, and was the club’s first choice goalkeeper for much of that time. He made almost 450 appearances for the club in total, before playing for Fulham, Chelsea, and Leicester City. The Australian retired in 2016 and has since gone into punditry.
Franck Queudrue
Franck Queudrue spent five years with Middlesbrough, after initially joining on loan in 2001. He played more than 150 times for ‘Boro, and also played in England for Fulham, Birmingham City and Colchester United.
Chris Riggott
Chris Riggott had only joined the club from Derby County a few months before this game in Septembr 2003. He stayed at The Riverside Stadium until 2010, and he retired two years later amid ongoing injury struggles.
Colin Cooper served Middlesbrough for a long time
Colin Cooper had two spells with ‘Boro during his career. First playing for them between 1984 and 1991, he returned in 1998, and stayed until his retirement from playing in 2006. He would then go on to spend several more years with the club as a coach, and had a spell as caretaker manager too.
Danny Mills
Danny Mills was on loan with the club from Leeds United during the 2003/04 season. He did not extend his stay with ‘Boro beyond that, and instead joined Manchester City in the summer of 2004.
George Boateng
Joining in 2002, George Boateng spent six years with Middlesbrough, making over 200 appearances for the club in all competitions. He left for Hull City in 2008, and after retiring from playing, is now a coach for the Ghanaian national team.
Bolo Zenden was an eye-catching Middlesbrough signing
Fomer Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven man Bolo Zenden was on loan with ‘Boro from Chelsea during the 2003/04 season. He joined permanently in 2004, but then moved to Liverpool a year later. The Dutchman also played for Marseille and Sunderland later in his career.
Jonathan Greening
With his move to Middlesbrough from Manchester United in 2001, Jonathan Greening was reunited with one of his old coaches from his time at Old Trafford in McLaren. The midfielder spent three years with the club before joining West Brom in 2004.
Doriva
While Juninho was an unused substitute, one Brazilian who did start for ‘Boro in this match was Doriva. Having joined on loan in January 2003, he ultimately stayed with the club until 2006, as his playing career came to a close. He is now a coach for Albania’s national team.
Malcolm Christie scored the winner for Middlesbrough
It was Malcom Christie who scored the winner for McLaren’s side in this game. With 13 minutes on the clock, the striker cut inside from the right, before firing into the bottom corner from just inside the area. It was one of nine goals he scored in 49 games for the club between 2003 and 2007.
Joseph-Desire Job
Joseph Desire-Job spent six years at The Riverside Stadium between 2000 and 2006. In that time, he made 112 appearances for the club, and scored 22 goals, including one in Middlesbrough’s 2004 famous League Cup final victory.