Middlesbrough fans will love what Kim Hellberg has just said - it involves Man City | OneFootball

New Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg has revealed one of his previous memories of the club involving Manchester City.

New Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg has revealed that he has been aware of the club since a young age, with their famous 8-1 win over Manchester City one of his standout memories.

Middlesbrough were rocked by the sudden departure of former boss Rob Edwards to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, just over four months since his summer arrival, and his decision to make the move to Molineux was met with plenty of anger from supporters.

With Boro sitting in the top two in the Championship at the time of Edwards' exit, the club were keen to make a swift appointment to keep their promotion push on track, and Hellberg was appointed as their new head coach on Monday, with the 37-year-old leaving his role at Swedish side Hammarby to take over at the Riverside Stadium.

Hellberg led Hammarby to two consecutive second-placed finishes in the Allsvenskan in his two seasons in charge, and it had looked as though he was on his way to Swansea City after holding talks with the Welsh outfit in London during the international break, but Boro hijacked the deal at the last minute to bring him to Teesside.

After being introduced to supporters on the pitch before the game, Hellberg watched Boro's 4-2 defeat to leaders Coventry City on Tuesday night from the stands, and he will take charge of his new team for the first time on Saturday when they host in-form Derby County.

Kim Hellberg drops Middlesbrough reveal involving Manchester City

In his first press conference as Middlesbrough head coach on Thursday afternoon, Hellberg revealed that he has watched a lot of the club's matches since his childhood, and he named their memorable 8-1 home win over Manchester City in May 2008 as one of his main memories.

City were managed by one of Hellberg's Swedish compatriots at the time, the late Sven Goran Eriksson, and after having Richard Dunne sent off in the 15th minute, they were demolished by Boro, with a double from Stewart Downing and a hat-trick from Afonso Alves contributing to a famous victory.

Of course, it was a different era for City as it was before the takeover by Sheikh Mansour, but it is still a day that will be remembered forever by Boro supporters, and it seems it has also left a lasting impression on Hellberg.

"What did I know about Middlesbrough before they approached me? Well I know they beat Man City 8-1 at The Riverside when (compatriot) Sven-Göran Eriksson was the coach of Man City!" Hellberg told Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie.

"I know a lot about English football, I love it. I have watched a lot of Middlesbrough ever since I was 5 or 6 years old."

Middlesbrough supporters should be optimistic as Kim Hellberg era begins

Middlesbrough would not have wanted to make a managerial change after their strong start to the season under Edwards, but they must now put any lingering frustration at his controversial move to Wolves behind them and look forward after Hellberg's appointment.

Hellberg built up a reputation as a highly-rated young coach during his time in his native Sweden, and while he will need time to adapt to the Championship, he looks to be an exciting choice for Boro.

It is clear that Hellberg has followed English football for some time, and he has previously been linked with Sunderland and Swansea, so he will likely have done his research on the second tier, while he is inheriting a talented squad who remain in an excellent position in the table.