Irvine relishing St Ledger return

The defender joined Boro on loan with a view to a permanent move in September after three seasons at Preston and Irvine is keen to see how his strikers fare against their former team-mate. He told the club website: "I'm looking forward to seeing Sean. I'm sure he's looking forward to coming back. He's a really good player and a very good professional. "I hope he doesn't play well but I hope he goes on and has a successful season and career. "It's always an advantage to know your opponent but at the same time Sean knows the lads he's playing against so we'll see who comes out on top."