'My birthday was one day before the League Cup final, I thought Steve McClaren might put me on the bench, but I wasn't even in the squad' Former Middlesbrough man reveals bitter taste left by cup triumph

Middlesbrough were crowned Carling Cup winners during the 2003/04 season with victory over Bolton Wanderers in the final at the Millennium Stadium.

Steve McClaren's Boro side had established themselves as Premier League regulars and after three cup final defeats during the 1990s, their 2-1 win against Sam Allardyce's Bolton tasted particularly sweet.

Two early goals from Joseph Desire-Job and Bolo Zenden had put Boro into a strong early lead before they were pegged back by Kevin Davies. McClaren's side hung on to see out the result and take home the club's first major trophy.

'Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren left me out of cup final squad'

However, there was one local defender who wasn't as enamoured by the day's events, and certainly not by the events leading up to the final.

Colin Cooper had made his debut for Middlesbrough in the mid-1980s when the club were languishing in the old Second and Third Divisions.

Back-to-back promotions lifted the Teessiders into the top flight by 1988 but they were sent packing after just one season and spent the next two in the second tier again.

It was at that point Cooper left the club for South Londoners Millwall, with whom he lasted two seasons, before signing with Nottingham Forest.

Cooper enjoyed five years at the City Ground and earned England recognition during his time there before returning to his north-east roots in 1998 with Boro.

"Bryan Robson’s no.2, Viv Anderson, who had strong Forest connections, asked if I’d be interested [in going back]," Cooper tells FourFourTwo. "I had a few issues with new Forest manager Dave Bassett, who didn’t want me at the club, but I was determined to leave on my own terms. I could have joined West Ham, but Boro ticked all the boxes and I was fed up rowing with Bassett all the time."

Cooper played regularly during the three seasons preceding McClaren's arrival as first-team boss but his involvement gradually began to wane as he entered the twilight of his career.

During his time away from the club, Middlesbrough had been defeated by Chelsea, twice, and Leicester City in League and FA Cup Finals. In 1996/97, despite ending the season second-bottom and suffering relegation to the First Division, Boro made it to the finals of both domestic cups.

In April, they forced Leicester to extra-time, a replay, then extra-time in the replay before succumbing to a 100th minute Steve Claridge goal.

A month later, Boro were undone by a Roberto Di Matteo-inspired Chelsea side at Wembley in the FA Cup Final.

The following season, Middlesbrough were beaten by the same opponent and the same scoreline, losing 2-0 to the Blues in the League Cup, although this time they did take the Stamford Bridge outfit to extra time.

"It was very different [to when I left]," Cooper tells FFT. "New ground, new training facilities, new manager, new team and new ambition. Everything was on an upward trajectory. Gary Pallister came back at the same time as me. I think the two of us brought stability to the club.

"It’s just a pity I’d missed three cup finals while I was away and then when Boro eventually won the Carling Cup, I didn’t even make the bench. I’ve always felt a little bit sore about that as I’d played in the early rounds. My 37th birthday was one day before the final, so I thought Steve McClaren might have put me on the bench, but he went for young Stewie Downing instead."

McClaren will probably feel vindicated over his team selection given the outcome of the day and what came afterwards. It could even be argued Cooper's gripe should be with the competition organisers considering only five substitutes were allowed to be named on the bench, which in modern football, seems a little sparse.