"Sour" - Tommy Conway makes Bristol City exit revelation ahead of return with Middlesbrough | OneFootball

The forward will return to Ashton Gate on Friday night for the first time since leaving the club last summer

Middlesbrough striker Tommy Conway is looking forward to his return to Ashton Gate tonight, but is unsure of the reception he will receive from the Bristol City faithful.

The frontman swapped the Robins for Boro in a reported £4.5 million deal over the summer after failing to agree a new contract with the southwest side, with a 15-year association with his boyhood club coming to an end.

Both sides head into the encounter hoping to grab a win to keep them in contention for the play-off places, with the Teessiders on a miserable run of just two league wins in their previous eleven outings.

While Conway is looking to get three points for his current side, he is well aware of how he could well have a target on his back tonight, given the way he departed the club last summer.

Tommy Conway previews ‘emotional’ Ashton Gate return

Conway heads into Friday’s affair with as much of a point to prove as anyone, with City fans likely to give him a tough time after his departure from Ashton Gate last summer.

As contract negotiations with Liam Manning broke down during the off-season, the Robins were left with no choice but to cash in on their striker while they still could, with Boro all too happy to snap him up when he became available.

Eight goals in 22 league appearances since moving to The Riverside has seen that investment reap its rewards for Michael Carrick’s side, although their recent form has seen them drop four points away from the top six heading into the next round of fixtures.

The chance to get one over on his old side adds that extra bit of needle for Conway, and the 22-year-old would love nothing more than to return from his old stomping ground with a win.

“I've thought of every scenario,” he told Teesside Live. “It will be a bit of an emotional one. I'd been there since I was seven and the way I left wasn't really the way I wanted to leave, it was a bit of a sour note. I'll probably be in for some stick but that's football.

“I'll be happy going back to see all the staff, all the players I used to play with. I'll leave that in the past, forget about what's happened, and I'll be the bigger man and move on from that.

“It kind of adds to it for me personally, especially with the run we're on. It's almost like it's written in the stars for us to go out there and get the win. It's one I'm really looking forward to for various reasons, but the obvious one is to get the three points. Hopefully we can.”

Tommy Conway looking to reverse recent Middlesbrough form

Having been a major part of the promotion conversation in the run-up to Christmas, Boro have struggled for any sort of momentum recently, as they head into the weekend on the back of four straight defeats.

With just two wins since the turn of the year, the mood around The Riverside has turned sour. The trip to fellow promotion hopefuls City marks another stern test as they try to turn things around, and Conway has laid it all out on the line as the whole squad aims for a return to form.

“I think I speak on behalf of everyone in the changing room and club, we know results haven't gone our way and we fully understand the frustration of the fans,” he continued.

“We’re all trying very hard every day, we're working hard to try and get results on the pitch.

“At the minute that's not falling for us but we're all good lads, we all want to do well for the gaffer, I'm sure it will turn.

“I think I speak on behalf of everyone, but for me personally it's my job and it means everything to me that I go out on a Saturday trying to get three points. When you lose so many games on the bounce it affects you mentally.

“You want to show people that it matters and you care about what's going on. As much as they're disappointed, so are we. We're human beings as well and it affects us as much. We've come away from games frustrated. That's the biggest thing. You can see the effort being put in, the lads are working hard every day.”