“It will be surreal” – Middlesbrough midfielder eager to face Cristiano Ronaldo in FA Cup clash against Manchester United

Middlesbrough talisman Matt Crooks is excited to face off against Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo when the two teams meet in the FA Cup on Friday night. The Premier League giants will play host to the Championship outfit in the fourth round of the domestic cup competition.

Ralf Rangnick's men will be looking to win their third successive match in all competitions following recent victories over Brentford and West Ham. Meanwhile, Boro boss Chris Wilder will be aiming to recreate his victory at Old Trafford last January. His former employers Sheffield United stunned the Red Devils 2-1 in the Premier League.

Crooks, who was part of Manchester United's youth system until the age of 14, has revealed just how eager he is to return to Old Trafford. He told the Northern Echo:

"Hopefully, I play but you never know until you get the team sheet. I’m looking forward to it. It’s definitely going to be the biggest game of my career. Laid in bed last night thinking ‘am I going to play? I’ve been going to the matches since I was a little boy."

Crooks added:

"I saw Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, all those guys so it would be a dream come true for me to play at Old Trafford. Obviously it’s not for United but it’s still at Old Trafford against them so it will be a big thing for me."

The 28-year-old also admitted that playing against Cristiano Ronaldo would be among the highlights of his career. He continued:

"But if I do play, it’s one of those things where I don’t want to be in awe of my surroundings. It’s still a big game and we’ve got to go there with the thought that we can win the game. It will probably be a bit surreal. I’m used to watching them on TV. If I had the chance to go up against him (Ronaldo), I think that would probably be the biggest thing."

Cristiano Ronaldo was ruled out of Manchester United's match against Aston Villa in the previous round of the FA Cup. It remains to be seen if he will continue to be rested, given the hectic schedule the Red Devils currently have.

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Can Matt Crooks' good form help Middlesbrough beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United on Friday?

Matt Crooks was released from the Manchester United academy at the young age of 14

Matt Crooks, who joined Middlesbrough from Rotherham United for an undisclosed fee last summer, has been in scintillating form this season. The Englishman is the club's second-highest goalscorer this campaign with six goals in all competitions, one behind Andraz Sporar. He also has two assists to his name so far.

Crooks has made 28 appearances for the Teessiders across all competitions in the current campaign. Except for their draw with West Brom in the Championship last November, the midfielder has started every single game for the club in the current campaign.

Whether Crooks' good form can help Middlesbrough cause an upset at Old Trafford this Friday remains to be seen.