Middlesbrough FC

• Nickname:
• Founded:1876
• Manager:Tony Mowbray

• Ground:
• Capacity:NaN

O'Neil ready for return

28 Dec 2007 - 12:23:18

Click To Enlarge

Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil is hoping to put one over his former club when he faces Portsmouth on Saturday.

The 24-year-old left Fratton Park bound for Teesside in August after ten years with the south coast club.

The former England Under-21 international has missed the last two matches for struggling Boro with a hamstring problem, but is set to return against Pompey and can't wait to face his former team-mates.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It was the first game I looked for when I came up here," he told the Portsmouth News.

"I've not had the chance to say goodbye to so many people as the move happened so quickly. So it will be nice to come back and see everyone and hopefully get three points as well.

"Pompey definitely has a special place in my heart - I was there from the age of 13, but I had to leave. I didn't really have a decision to make, once they started accepting offers for me I knew my time was up.

"I could have said I wanted to stay but they were clearly not desperate to keep me. It's felt like a new lease of life, though, and I've definitely improved.

"This is the best I've played for a few years and I'm really enjoying it."