Strachan's respect for Leeds rival Grayson

GORDON STRACHAN believes the career of Leeds United manager Simon Grayson is a vivid illustration of the benefits that hard work can bring in football.

The Middlesbrough chief will go head-to-head with his former clubmate from Elland Road this evening in one of the Championship's top matches of the day at the Riverside Stadium.

It will be the first time the two clubs have met in more than six years as Strachan looks to put one over the club where he won the league title in 1992.

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The Boro manager said: "Simon Grayson was at Leeds as a player when I was there.

"He didn't clean my boots or anything like that. He was a wee bit too old for that but he always had great respect for everyone and was a very polite lad who worked himself into the ground. I associate with those kinds of guys.

"Simon goes into the same bracket as (Chris) Kamara and (Vinnie) Jones (both team-mates of Strachan when Leeds won promotion in 1990).

"Limited, but wanted to get the best out of whatever asset he had and I am sure he is the same as a manager.

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"As a player, he was refreshingly ordinary – by that, I mean he was great to work with, he couldn't do enough.

"I put on sessions when I changed from player to player-coach (at Leeds) and he was always there in the afternoon.

"Gary Speed was always there, too, and if you look at their careers it just shows what you can do when you put a bit of work into it.

"I don't know how Simon operates (now) but to get where he has, then he must have pushed himself as a manager and young coach."

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Strachan joined Leeds in March 1989, and went on to enjoy a hugely successful time at Elland Road as United followed promotion with the league championship.

The Boro manager said: "It was a terrific time. I lived in a different world at that time – a Leeds world where everywhere you went the grounds were full and every game was like a cup-tie.

"In my first season at Leeds, I played in a midfield with Kamara, David Batty and Jones. Howard (Wilkinson) came in at half-time once and said, 'When are you going to start tackling?' I just said, 'Are you taking the mickey? What about these three?' It was a magnificent journey to be on."