Middlesbrough v Sunderland
The FA Cup with Budweiser
Fourth Round Proper Replay
7.45pm, Wednesday 8 February 2012
The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough FC
Live on ITV1 - TV fee of £212,000 per club
Winning clubs receive £180,000 from The FA's prize fund
Click here for fixtures

As the north-east rivals prepare to meet again on Wednesday night to battle for a place in the Fifth Round Proper and a home tie against Arsenal, we hear from two players with connections to both clubs and find out what their thoughts on the game are.

Manchester City and England ace Adam Johnson was born in Sunderland and supported the Black Cats as a youngster, but began his career on Teeside with Boro prior to making his move to City in 2010.

“There’s no split loyalties from me," said Johnson. "I want Middlesbrough to win. I grew up with half of the Boro team. Batesy and Tony McMahon are good pals of mine, while Rhys Williams is a good lad and they are all a similar age to me.

“Having been born in Sunderland, I’ve obviously got a soft spot for them, especially as my family were all fans when I was growing up, but Boro played big part in my career and there’s no doubt I want them to go through.

“I thought Boro were unlucky at the Stadium of Light. It’s a difficult place to go, especially in the form Sunderland are in. Robbo scored a great goal but then made the mistake that let Sunderland back into it, but I think a draw was probably a fair result.

“I’d have loved to have come to the game. In fact, that was my plan but City have got a charity match against Sampdoria in Italy the same night so I’ll miss it. I won’t even get to see it on TV but I’ll be getting a text off my dad, which I’ll see when I get back to the dressing rooms. I’m disappointed that I can’t come because it would have been my first game since leaving Boro.”

One of Johnson's former Boro team-mates is Liverpool winger Stewart Downing, who was born in Middlesbrough and also started his career there but cut his teeth as a youngster during a successful loan spell at the Stadium Of Light.

“Boro are my hometown team. It’s my club, my town, it’s home," added Downing. "In fact, I’ve still got a house on Teesside. I have told Steve Gibson that I might come back and play for the club one day, who knows?

“Obviously Sunderland gave me a chance of first team football when I went there on loan, though I only went there because I was so impressed with Mick McCarthy so I wanted to play for him. To be fair, they always give me plenty of stick when I go back there now!

“I watched the Sunderland game with Jordan Henderson and we had some banter, with one backing Boro and one supporting Sunderland. Jutkeivicz had a great chance at the end of the first half and we’d have gone on to win it if he’d scored. We played some nice football.”