Neil Cox

England U21 international right-back Neil became Middlesbrough’s first ever £1m player when Bryan Robson signed him from rivals Aston Villa in 1994. 

He started his career with hometown club Scunthorpe United and was signed by Villa for £400,000 three years later, winning a League Cup winners’ medal in 1994 when he came on as a substitute for Steve Staunton in the final against Manchester United.

Neil helped Boro to promotion to the Premier League in his first season and was named in the 1994/95 First Division Team of the Year.

He played alongside world stars such as Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli in the Boro side that famously reached the FA Cup and League Cup finals as well as suffering the heartbreak of relegation on the final day of the campaign.

In 1997 Neil joined Bolton Wanderers for £1.5m before moving on to Watford, where he made more than 200 appearances, scoring 20 goals and captaining the club.

His hugely successful career, in which he amassed almost 600 appearances and scored 42 goals, ended with spells at Cardiff City, Crewe Alexandria and Leek Town, who he managed in 2010 before becoming assistant manager to Neil Ardley at AFC Wimbledon in 2012.