MICHAEL CARRICK is delighted to be welcoming Middlesbrough legend Tony Mowbray back to the Riverside this evening in his new role as manager of West Brom.

Having watched the Baggies’ weekend draw with Stoke City from the stands at the Hawthorns, Mowbray will kick off his second spell as West Brom boss against his hometown club.

The Teessider achieved legendary status at Boro as a player, and also managed the club for three years between 2010-13, but his footballing career appeared to be over when he was forced to step down from the manager’s position at Birmingham City last March after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

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He underwent extensive treatment before eventually being given the all-clear, and will be assured of a rapturous reception when he walks out at the Riverside tonight.

“It's fantastic to see Tony healthy, well and back in the game,” said Carrick. “It’s great to see him in a good job, in a big role, after the challenging months that he and his family have had to face and come through.

“I'm sure it has been tough and not easy to get to this point, but it’s fantastic to see him back. It’ll be fantastic to see him again but, obviously, there's a whole different side to it in terms of us trying to win a game. But aside from that, it's great to see him looking so well.”

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Mowbray has been a regular presence at the Riverside in the last few months, even co-commentating on one of Boro’s home matches for BBC Radio Tees.

He was even meant to be attending Rockliffe Park earlier this month in order to watch one of Carrick’s training sessions, only for him to pull out when it became apparent that he might be on the verge of a return to Championship management.

He enjoyed considerable success in his first spell as West Brom boss, winning the Championship title in 2008, and was also a hugely popular figure at Sunderland, where he played a pivotal role in helping to develop the side that is currently challenging for promotion under Regis Le Bris.

“He’s got amazing experience,” said Carrick. “Experience and knowledge. He’s had so many different experiences for a long, long period of time. I think that tells you the level of manager he is, and what he can get from teams. You see that with the level of success he's had over such a long period of time.”

Mowbray’s return to the Riverside will add an emotional edge to tonight’s game, but it would already have been a big game anyway, with West Brom having returned to the play-off positions as they edged ahead of Boro on goal difference at the weekend.

“It's a big game for us,” said Carrick. “We want to pick up more points. We should have had more points, but we need to pick up more moving forward.

“In terms of the play-offs, it’s a huge factor in the actual season itself, but right now, whether we move one position or two positions, it's not about that for me.

“It's about doing all the things we've done pretty well at times for periods in games. We need to do that for a lot longer, and finish games off and be in a position where we're picking up more points.”