Saturday 24 October 2015 00:02, UK
Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren hopes Lee Cattermole does not come back to haunt him as he prepares for Sunday's Wear-Tyne derby with Sunderland.
As Middlesbrough manager back in January 2006, McClaren gave the then 17-year-old Cattermole his full debut against the Magpies and he played a starring role in a 2-2 Premier League draw.
Despite that impressive performance, the former England boss admitted Cattermole has gone on to enjoy an even more successful career than he anticipated at the time.
"He's done better than I thought he would do. He's done terrifically well," said McClaren.
"We gave him his debut in a derby game and he was excellent, man of the match.
"To see him go on and become the kind of player - he's a good footballer as well - he's done very well. Very good."
Cattermole will not be the only familiar face among the Sunderland ranks when McClaren and his players arrive at the Stadium of Light for the Sky Live match, with new Black Cats manager Sam Allardyce an old adversary.
The pair went head-to-head at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in 2004 when Boro beat Allardyce's Bolton to won the Carling Cup, with the two men in direct competition once again two years later when the England manager's job came up.
McClaren won that battle but asked if he saw Allardyce as his big rival at the time, he said: "There were quite a few, as there always is.
"I'm sure the next one, he'll be put forward for that as well - if that comes up. But I don't think Sam is concentrating on that.
"I certainly wouldn't recommend it, to actually do it. That's just a personal opinion."
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