FOR Jordan Hugill, this has been a season of homecomings. Born and bred in Middlesbrough, the striker who once strutted his stuff in the Northern League is clearly relishing the opportunity to lead the line for his hometown team. Previously a barman at the Dickens Inn, Hugill is now the toast of Teesside.

When it comes to his footballing roots as a professional, though, the 26-year-old is not a product of the Riverside. He was overlooked by Middlesbrough’s academy, playing for the likes of Seaham Red Star, Consett and Marske United instead, and his first professional contract was with Port Vale. In terms of becoming the player he is today, though, the club he owes most to is Preston.

Simon Grayson took him to Deepdale in 2014, and his three-and-a-half years as a Preston player saw him score 30 goals in 75 senior starts. He was the club’s top scorer in the 2016-17 season, with his performances securing a £10m move to West Ham. Things didn’t work out at the London Stadium, so while he is beginning to make his mark with Boro, his days at Preston remain the most successful of his career.

Hence why, tonight, he will make another return ‘home’. Boro travel to Preston looking to keep up the pressure on Championship leaders Norwich City, who are taking on Hull City at the KCOM Stadium, but Hugill also has personal reasons to continue the fine run of form that has seen him score three goals in his last two matches. For the Teessider, this a chance to impress former friends.

“Jordan is a great story,” said Aden Flint, who, like Hugill, also joined Middlesbrough this summer. “He’s a guy who used to be a barman in the area before going off to be a professional elsewhere.

“He’s come back to his home patch, and he’s scoring goals in front of fans that he maybe used to serve at the bar. He loved that goal in front of the away end against Brentford.

“He did ever so well at Preston and fully earned his big-money move to West Ham. For whatever reason it didn’t quite work out, injury played a part. But now we’re benefiting from his displays.

“He puts in a hell of a shift every time he plays. He may have been under a bit of pressure before the recent Wigan game, but he got a couple there, got the monkey off his back and maybe he will continue in a vein of scoring and get a few more.

“He’s there to score goals, and the goals he’s got in the last two games have been important and helped get us points. We have great strikers in the squad, and there is competition.”

Despite the presence of Britt Assombalonga and Rudy Gestede, Hugill has established himself as Boro’s number one striker in the last few weeks, with the return of his goalscoring touch supplementing an all-round game that sees him lead the line in a manner that Tony Pulis clearly admires.

Hugill will continue in the starting line-up tonight, but Pulis will have to decide whether to stick with Marcus Tavernier, who scored Boro’s second goal at Griffin Park on Saturday, or restore Martin Braithwaite to the side after he was rested last weekend.

Pulis has described Braithwaite as his side’s ‘most naturally talented player’, but the Dane remains the subject of strong speculation ahead of the reopening of the transfer window in January. As a result, Tavernier could find himself becoming an increasingly influential figure in the next few weeks, something that his form over the course of the season so far fully justifies.

“Marcus has done so well,” said Flint. “He hadn’t started a league game for a year or something (before the Brentford win), but he’s come in and taken his chance. We said to him before the game, ‘You have been given this opportunity – now take it’, and he did it in style with the winning goal.

“He’s very down to earth and has his head screwed on for a young lad, and he’s played for England Under-20s already. Now, he’ll be looking to get a few more games.

“I think Marcus and some of the other kids keep me young – I must be one of the oldest in the group but I don’t feel it!”

Flint’s performances have helped Boro claim the best defensive record in the Championship. The Teessiders have conceded seven fewer goals than any of their rivals, and for all the grumbling about an occasional lack of attacking threat, the club’s defensive displays should continue to form the bedrock of their promotion push.

“As a defence, we love the clean sheets,” said Flint. “I do believe that goals win games, clean sheets win leagues – that is what the gaffer is trying to drum into us.

“I think we have about 11 clean sheets already this season, and it is looking good on that front. That’s why we were so disappointed with the goal we conceded (at Brentford). We were annoyed how we conceded, we all switched off as a team for the short corner.”

Middlesbrough (probable, 4-1-4-1): Randolph; Fry, Batth, Flint, Friend; Clayton; Downing, Howson, Besic, Tavernier; Hugill.