TONY PULIS will revisit his roots when Middlesbrough take on Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round, but Michael Flynn is determined to wreck his fellow Welshman’s reunion.

Pulis was born and raised in the Pillgwenlly area of Newport, and used to watch matches at Newport County and Swansea City as a youngster.

He played youth football with Newport YMCA, but moved out of his hometown when he signed apprentice terms with Bristol Rovers as a teenager. However, his brother, Ray, played professionally for Newport County and the current Boro boss was awarded an honorary degree at Newport University in 2013.

He has previously spoken of the similarities between his hometown and Middlesbrough, and the two worlds will collide next month when Newport, currently 13th in League Two, visit the Riverside.

Understandably, the Welsh side had been hoping for another glamour tie against Premier League opposition in the wake of their shock third-round win over Leicester City, but Pulis’ heritage means this month’s game will still come with a fair amount of emotion attached.

“Obviously it’s a long journey and a tough game, but it will be good to see Tony Pulis, a Newport man who’s in charge there, and it’s a game we’ll look forward to,” said Flynn, who took up his current position as County boss in March 2017.

“I know Tony, he is somebody I’ve got a lot of time and respect for. He’s a great man, and he’s very helpful if I need anything.”

Boro will start as strong favourites as they look to make the fifth round for what would be the third time in the last five years, having brushed aside League One opposition as they thrashed Peterborough United 5-0 last weekend.

Pulis made eight changes for the third-round tie, and is likely to adopt a similar approach for the game against Newport, and Flynn will be urging his players to be ready in case their opponents come unstuck.

“Of course it’s a big test, but hopefully they’re concentrating on going for promotion and getting back into the Premier League,” he said. “They’re a big club, and if they take their eye off the ball and we have a very good day, we can surprise them again.

“It’s been a fantastic run for us so far, a great achievement for all the players and the football club. “It’s well deserved. We played well enough to get through, and are thankfully still in the competition.”

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have confirmed that 22-year-old defender Nathan McGinley has made a permanent move to League Two side Forest Green Rovers.

McGinley, whose only senior appearance in a Boro shirt came in the Carabao Cup win over Notts County at the start of this season, spent the majority of the first half of the season on loan at Forest Green.