Middlesbrough fans have been blessed with some talented players over the years, particularly after Steve Gibson rescued the club from liquidation in 1986.

The 1990's in particular were an exciting time for Boro fans as they moved to a state of the art stadium, and Gibson splashed the cash to bring in some world class players as he looked to end their search for silverware.

The Bryan Robson era saw some household names move to Teesside, before Steve McClaren continued the tradition of buying proven talent and his, and Steve Gibson's, vision for the club enticed a number of top class players to the Riverside.

A combination of quality and hard work are what endear footballers to Middlesbrough fans more than anything, and fans look back at previous years and can only wish to have some of the players that they used to have in their current team.

Here are FIVE legends that Middlesbrough could do with right now.......

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE FIVE LEGENDS!

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Juninho

The Brazilian is regarded as one of the best players to have ever played for the football club, and he was arguably the signing that began an influx of world class players to arrive on Teesside.

The dynamic midfielder had three spells at Middlesbrough and even though he never quite recaptured the form that he showed in his first spell, he is regarded as a hero and finally achieved his goal of winning a trophy with Boro in 2004.

The quality he possessed as well as his willingness to run at opposition defences made him popular in Middlesbrough and with him sitting behind the striker, Boro could really do with him in their side now.

Mark Schwarzer

A goalkeeper who served Boro for 11 years and played over 400 games for the club, and their inability to replace him when he left the club in 2008 was a factor in their relegation from the Premier League.

He's still playing at 43 and when Aitor Karanka was looking for a new goalkeeper in the summer, some Boro fans still felt that Schwarzer could come in and do a job.

While that is debatable, a Mark Schwarzer in his prime would certainly strengthen their goalkeeping department and most Boro fans would welcome him back to the club. Especially as he was seen attending last season's play-off final as a supporter.

George Boateng

Another player who helped Middlesbrough win their first ever major trophy in 2004 was the tireless Dutch midfielder, George Boateng.

A signing from Aston Villa, Boateng made himself a popular figure on Teesside for his displays in the centre of the midfield and after Gareth Southgate's promotion to manager in 2006, the Dutchman was made captain of the team.

With his tireless displays and leadership in the middle of the park, Boateng would be an asset to Aitor Karanka's squad as he looks to take them back to the promised land.

Wilf Mannion

Not many Middlesbrough fans will have seen Wilf Mannion play at the time but he, along with Juninho, is regarded as one of the best players to pull on the shirt.

A hometown hero that played over 300 times for the club, scoring 99 goals, he was a striker that certainly knew where the back of the net is, as shown by his England record where he scored 11 times in his 26 caps.

A squad can never have too many goal scorers and having a player of Mannion's quality would undoubtedly be a plus for Boro.

Gareth Southgate

The only Middlesbrough captain to have lifted a major trophy in the club's history, Gareth Southgate was a class act in the centre of defence in his five year spell at the club.

In his first season at the club, he won the club's Player of the Year Award and also received no yellow cards, an incredible achievement for a centre-back, and that stat just shows how good his positioning and tackling were.

Having his leadership skills at the back would be fantastic for Boro and his quality would see him walk into the current Boro team, despite their array of talent in his position.