Pranking mates was Par for the course – Boateng

GEORGE Boateng has recalled his delight at Bolo Zenden joining him at Middlesbrough in 2003, with the pair familiar with one another from their days playing youth football in their native Netherlands.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Zenden joined Boro’s golden era in 2003, initially on loan from Chelsea. Alongside Boateng, he went on to create history for the club as they won major silverware when beating Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup final - the first and only major trophy in the club's history.

Zenden, of course, played a major role in that triumph - scoring the seventh-minute penalty that put Boro two goals to the good and proved pivotal in a 2-1 victory. He assisted Joseph-Desire Job’s opener in just the second minute too.

Boateng, who played a major role in that Steve McClaren side, was delighted when first joined by Zenden on Teesside, and recently revealed the pair shared many fun times together - often at the expense of their Boro team-mates.