Football
Chris Wright, Toe Poke writer 5y

Middlesbrough to field youngest and oldest ever players in FA Cup

Middlesbrough are poised to field both the club's youngest and oldest ever players alongside each other this weekend when they face Peterborough (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+) in the third round of the FA Cup.

Manager Tony Pulis has confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos will start as part of a matchday squad that will also include teenage centre-back Nathan Wood.

Wood became Boro's youngest ever player earlier in the season when he came off the bench in a league cup tie against Notts County at the tender age of 16 years and 75 days -- thus breaking a club record that had stood for well over a century.

At the other end of the scale, Konstantopoulos will be 40 years and 35 days old when he plays on Saturday, making him 45 days older than the club's previous record elder statesman, Bryan Robson (who was fulfilling the role of player-manager at the time back in 1997.)

"It must be unique. You might have one or the other but to have both [the oldest and youngest player] on the same pitch. I've never heard of that happening before," Pulis told the Teesside Gazette. "It's an amazing situation, supporters should come in and see it because it will be unique and will never happen again.

"It gets the youngest and oldest playing in one game. I have never had that before, not with that age difference. Dimi could be his grandfather. It's so unique but great for the occasion."

Should Wood make an appearance, the age gap between himself and Konstantopoulos would be a considerable 24 years, which is frankly rather ludicrous!

Those interested in tuning in and finding out will be glad to learn that all 32 ties taking place in the FA Cup third round will be shown live on ESPN+ in the US. Check out our handy one-stop guide for information on what not to miss, the various runners and riders, potential giant-killings and everything in between.

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