The Bluebirds head to the Riverside Stadium for a lunchtime clash this weekend. While City and Boro share a host of former players, some of the standouts have been at the back.
JOE BENNETT
Our 2017/18 promotion-winning left back began his career at Boro. After signing for local side Northallerton Town, which was coached by a Middlesbrough scout, Bennett scored four in his opening game and very quickly found himself playing for the Middlesbrough Academy.
Bennett didn't have the most direct route to the first team on Teesside. He was left ineligible to represent Boro as he was deregistered by them while training for the under 15s. After fighting and regaining his place in their ranks, he worked his way up to the senior squad. Bennett spent a spell on the bench at the Riverside Stadium before eventually making his debut on the final day of the 2008/09 Premier League season. The match ended in a 2-1 defeat for Boro, and resulted in them being relegated to the Championship.
His first start came in a 2-2 draw in the Championship, and Bennett's performance earned him three further starts on the bounce as he continued to impress manager Gareth Southgate. However, after Southgate's departure, he struggled to keep his place in the side. Bennett's football later flourished under Tony Mowbray in the 2010/11 season. as he found himself playing in a more attacking full-back role and even won Boro's Young Player of the Season award.
His impressive performances saw interest from Premier League sides, and Bennett soon moved to Aston Villa. When his contract expired in the Midlands in 2016, he made the move to the Welsh capital. Unfortunately, an injury meant that he was forced to wait two months until he could make his first appearance for City. That game would also be Neil Warnock's first in charge, which saw Severnside derby delight for the Bluebirds sd they beat Bristol City 2-1. A successful first season for Bennett was rounded off in style with a brace on the final day away at Huddersfield Town. In the 2017/18 season, Bennett was an integral part of the promotion-winning Bluebirds, making 40 appearances as City reached the top flight.
When Bennett eventually left City, he had made over 160 appearances for the Welsh side. He later had spells at Wigan Athletic and Oxford United, and now features for Walton & Hersham in the National League South.
TONY VIDMAR
The Australian international is another who has played both on Teesside and in the Welsh capital. Vidmar joined Boro after playing over a century of fixtures for Scottish side Rangers. He had a solid start, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1-0 win over Birmingham City, but didn't get a run of games until six matchweeks later. He then started four in a row and remained part of the Boro squad during the 2002/03 campaign.
At the end of that season, he joined up with Lennie Lawrence's Bluebirds, who didn't pass up the opportunity to sign the Aussie after missing out on him the year before. The defender brought Premier League pedigree to the City defence to help them consolidate their midtable position in the First Division. He helped strengthen the City defence and played 49 times in his first season in South Wales. Vidmar also found his way on to the scoresheet in a 3-0 victory over Watford at Ninian Park.
The following season Vidmar featured less heavily but was still a big part of Lawrence's side. He made 33 appearances for City and doubled his goal tally for his time with the Bluebirds, although in a less joyous fixture, where he scored a late consolation goal in a defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. When Lawrence departed at the end of that season, Vidmar left as well, returning to his former side NAC Breda in the Netherlands.
NEIL COX
Another defender who became an established name in the EFL, Cox made over 500 appearances in English football, which included spells with the Bluebirds and Middlesbrough. Fresh from League Cup glory at Aston Villa, Cox moved to the Riverside to join Bryan Robson's side at the start of the 1994/95 season. Boro were targeting promotion to the Premier League and wanted Cox's experience at that level to help guide them there. The Englishman certainly didn't disappoint; Boro won promotion and he was one of the key men for them. Cox won the First Division Player of the Year award, which highlighted his importance to the division's champions.
Their return to the Premier League was backed up by a comfortable 12th place finish. Cox was still a crucial part of the side and even scored the opener in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in front of a packed Riverside Stadium. However, the following season was not one to remember for Cox or for the red and whites. After a League Cup Final defeat to Leicester City and an FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea, things were already bad enough for Robson's men, but the misery was piled on when a three-point deduction for being unable to field a side due to a flu outbreak meant Boro were relegated. This meant they were the first side to ever reach both cup finals and get relegated in the same season. Cox left at the end of that season to play for Bolton Wanderers.
After a long spell with Watford, the defender joined City at the start of the 2005/06 season. During his only season at Ninian Park, Cox was hampered by injuries and by the brilliant defensive duo of Darren Purse and Glenn Loovens. Despite not being the first name on Dave Jones' teamsheet, Cox made 27 league appearances as a Bluebird and his most memorable day in blue came in the form of a brace against Stoke City, with those being the only goals he scored for the club. He finished his playing career with Crewe Alexandra, and was recently the assistant manager to Lee Bowyer of Caribbean international side Montserrat.
SOL BAMBA
Perhaps the most notable name on this list is Sol Bamba, the City legend who finished his career at Middlesbrough. Bamba joined the Bluebirds after departing Leeds United, and immediately became loved by the City faithful after scoring a late winner in the same Severnside derby that provided Joe Bennett with his debut. Bamba's defensive acumen led to manager Neil Warnock saying, "I wouldn't want anyone else."
The end of his first season at CCS was disrupted by injuries; however, he made his return to the side at the beginning of the following season to help City win the opening five games of the season for the first time in their history. Bamba played in all 46 Championship games of City's promotion-winning season and rightfully earned his place in the PFA Team of the Year.
Bamba was just as crucial to City in the Premier League, both at the back and as a threat in the opposition box. He scored in wins over both Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton for Warnock's side. Unfortunately, after missing only a single game all season, Bamba's campaign came to an abrupt end when he picked up a knee injury in an away defeat to Wolves.
Back in the Championship, Bamba recovered from injury to be part of the City side. After being diagnosed with cancer in January 2021, Bamba returned for the final minute of the Bluebirds' 2020/21 season in an emotional moment.
Sol departed in June 2021 and rejoined Warnock at Middlesbrough at the end of that summer. When Bamba faced his former side back in the Welsh capital, he produced one of his trademark performances and won man of the match, drawing a post-match standing ovation from the City fans. When Sol came off the bench against Manchester United in a Fourth Round FA Cup tie, the game ultimately went to penalties, and Sol stepped up to convert the fifth penalty for Middlesbrough with ease, contributing to a classic FA Cup upset as Boro knocked out the Red Devils.
His playing days came to an end at the Riverside, but Sol returned to CCS to assist Sabri Lamouchi in January 2023 and was a crucial part of the staff that helped keep the Bluebirds in the Championship that season. He will forever be remembered for his immense contributions to our Club, both on and off the pitch.