Sunderland v Middlesbrough FC: Michael Carrick backing his local lads to 'manage their emotions'

Back in the noughties, a famed encounter between Middlesbrough and Sunderland ended with Boro midfield enforcer Lee Cattermole getting to grips with Black Cats counterpart - and Wearsider - Grant Leadbitter on one particularly combustive meeting.

The fares decreed that both would end up becoming favourites with supporters in 'enemy' territory further down the line, with Cattermole going onto captain Sunderland and Leadbitter leading Boro in promotion in 2015-16.

Football is such that a revered Boro icon in Tony Mowbray will also, of course, be managing the hosts today.

Additionally, today's latest meeting will carry extra weight for the Teessiders in Boro ranks in Dael Fry - controversially sent off in this fixture in January - and Hayden Hackney.

Not to mention Sunderland-born Sam Greenwood - from a family of Rokerites - and Josh Coburn, who was released by the club's academy.

Boro chief Michael Carrick said: "It's (about) managing the emotions.

"We all love the game because of the emotion and certain games bring different emotions to it with intensity and different atmospheres and that's part of it as a player.

"It's something you have to deal with and take it a little bit and also hide it. That's the challenge.

"But the boys have played in these types of games before and I don't have any concerns with how they deal with that."

Carrick's first experience of this particular rivalry was a disappointing one with Boro below their best en route to a 2-0 reverse on Wearside in early 2023.

The Boro head coach insists those events provide no extra motivation.

He added: "We will learn from the experience and boys managing the atmosphere and things like that.

"But it's kind of in the past and done. We move on and see what Saturday brings."