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Roberts relishing Riverside reunion
Former Middlesbrough keeper Ben Roberts is relishing a return to his former club with Brighton in the second round of the Carling Cup.
Roberts spent seven seasons at Boro without establishing himself as a first-team regular but has now deposed Dutchman Michel Kuipers as number one at The Withdean Stadium.
And the Bishop Auckland-born shot-stopper cannot wait to return to The Riverside - with his family and friends in tow.
"It's nice from a purely selfish point of view," said Roberts. "My dad is a keen Middlesbrough fan, and although my mum was a Sunderland supporter, ever since I played for Boro they've both been fans.
"They're absolutely delighted because it's another chance for them to come and watch me play."
And Roberts admits he will hardly recognise the current Boro side, such have been the changes at The Riverside since he left for Charlton in the summer of 2000.
"There's been a massive change around," he admitted. "OK, they've re-signed Juninho, but apart from him, only Mark Schwarzer, Colin Cooper and Robbie Stockdale were at the club when I was there.
"It will be nice to go back up there - and hopefully I'll play because there's still six weeks until the match and a lot can happen in that time - but if I am honest I would have preferred to have settled for a Third Division team at home.
"I want to go as far as I can in the competition and that type of draw would have given us more chance of going further."
Former Middlesbrough keeper Ben Roberts is relishing a return to his former club with Brighton in the second round of the Carling Cup.
Roberts spent seven seasons at Boro without establishing himself as a first-team regular but has now deposed Dutchman Michel Kuipers as number one at The Withdean Stadium.
And the Bishop Auckland-born shot-stopper cannot wait to return to The Riverside - with his family and friends in tow.
"It's nice from a purely selfish point of view," said Roberts. "My dad is a keen Middlesbrough fan, and although my mum was a Sunderland supporter, ever since I played for Boro they've both been fans.
"They're absolutely delighted because it's another chance for them to come and watch me play."
And Roberts admits he will hardly recognise the current Boro side, such have been the changes at The Riverside since he left for Charlton in the summer of 2000.
"There's been a massive change around," he admitted. "OK, they've re-signed Juninho, but apart from him, only Mark Schwarzer, Colin Cooper and Robbie Stockdale were at the club when I was there.
"It will be nice to go back up there - and hopefully I'll play because there's still six weeks until the match and a lot can happen in that time - but if I am honest I would have preferred to have settled for a Third Division team at home.
"I want to go as far as I can in the competition and that type of draw would have given us more chance of going further."
