Middlesbrough host Preston North End in a Championship clash on Saturday afternoon.
Boro are aiming to close the gap on their promotion rivals when they take on Preston North End this weekend.
Middlesbrough beat Cardiff City 2-0 in their last outing to move up to seventh in the Championship table.
However, they are still five points off a high-flying Sunderland and cannot afford to drop any points at the Riverside Stadium on September 14th.
Preston are currently flirting with the relegation zone with just one win and three losses from their first four Championship fixtures.
Middlesbrough have been predicted to beat Preston this weekend but fans are still likely fearful of an upset given the results against Derby County and Portsmouth already this term.
Now, ahead of Saturday, we look at the five best Middlesbrough players who also played for Preston…
David Nugent
David Nugent joined Middlesbrough from Leicester City in August 2015 and was a key part of their most recent promotion-winning campaign.
The striker scored nine and assisted eight in 45 games for Boro before leaving for Derby County in January 2017.
Nugent moved to Preston in August 2019 and notched 132 appearances for the Lilywhites before he retired in 2021.
Adam Reach
Adam Reach is a product of Middlesbrough’s academy and made 77 appearances for the Reds before he was sold to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016.
The winger had several loan spells during his time at the Riverside, the last of which was to Preston for the 2015/16 campaign.
Reach featured 36 times for the Lancashire outfit, scoring four and assisting three.
Sam Greenwood
Middlesbrough loaned Sam Greenwood from Leeds United for the 2023/24 season.
Greenwood got off to a bright start in the North East but his form derailed toward the back end of the campaign and Boro opted not to sign him on a permanent basis.
The winger has since joined Preston on loan from the Peacocks for 2024/25 and is expected to be in the eleven at the Riverside this weekend.
Jordan Hugill
Preston signed Jordan Hugill for less than £50,000 in July 2014 and looked to have found themselves a real gem.
West Ham United paid around £10m to the Lancashire side for Hugill in January 2018 before he was loaned to Middlesbrough for the 2018/19 season.
The now 32-year-old scored seven and assisted two in 41 games for his local team and is now plying his trade in League One with Rotherham United.
Cameron Archer
Middlesbrough signed Cameron Archer on loan for the second half of 2022/23 from Aston Villa.
The centre-forward played a crucial role in Boro finishing in the play-offs that season, chipping in with 11 goals and six assists.
Archer also spent time on loan at Deepdale Stadium in the second half of 2021/22, scoring seven in 20 games.
The 22-year-old is now plying his trade in the Premier League with Southampton after securing a permanent transfer away from Villa Park last month.