# List of Middlesbrough F.C. players

This is a list of notable footballers who have played for Middlesbrough. Generally, this means players that have played 100 or more first-class matches for the club, or been an officially designated captain.
Players are listed according to the date of their first-team debut for the club. Appearances are for first-team competitive matches only; wartime matches are excluded. Substitute appearances included. Names in bold are currently active at the club. Statistics correct as of 10 August 2024

## Notable players

Middlesbrough Legend (as voted for by fans in the Evening Gazette in 2007)  Club captains who have won a major senior competition (competitions noted in notes section)  Club record holder  Played their full career at Middlesbrough (professional teams only, including loans) (n/a) = Information not available
| Name | Nationality | Position | Boro career | Captaincy | Appearances | Goals | Notes |
| Peter McCracken | Scotland | Left-half Left-back | 1899–1900 | 1899–1900 | 34 | 0 | |
| Andrew Ramsey | Scotland | Left-back | 1899–1904 | – | 136 | 1 | – |
| William Higgins | England | Centre-half | 1900–1901 | 1900–1901 | 29 | 4 | – |
| David Smith | Scotland | Right-half | 1900–1905 | 1901–1903 | 114 | 12 | – |
| Andy Davidson | Scotland | Left-half Centre-half | 1900–1906 | – | 201 | 8 | – |
| Joseph Cassidy | Scotland | Inside-left Centre-forward | 1901–1906 | – | 135 | 34 | – |
| Abraham Jones | England | Centre-half | 1901–1906 | – | 149 | 9 | – |
| George Friend | England | Left-back | 2012– | – | 100 | 3 | – |
| Tim Williamson | England | Goalkeeper | 1901–1923 | 19??–1914 | 602 | 2 | |
| John Hogg | Scotland | Right-back | 1902–1906 | – | 100 | 0 | – |
| Sam Aitken | Scotland | Right-half Centre-half | 1903–1910 | 1907–19?? | 242 | 6 | – |
| Alf Common | England | Forward | 1905–1910 | 1905–1907 | 178 | 65 | |
| Steve Bloomer | England | Inside-right | 1905–1910 | – | 130 | 62 | – |
| Billy Barker | England | Wing-half | 1905–1913 | – | 113 | 2 | – |
| Sammy Cail | England | Inside-left Centre-forward | 1906–1913 | – | 143 | 55 | – |
| Donald McLeod | Scotland | Right-back | 1908–1913 | – | 148 | 0 | – |
| George Elliott | England | Centre-forward Inside-forward | 1909–1925 | 1913–1921 | 365 | 213 | |
| Andy Jackson | Scotland | Centre-half | 1910–1915 | 1914–1915 | 137 | 3 | – |
| William Carr | England | Centre-half | 1910–1924 | – | 118 | 4 | – |
| Jacky Carr | England | Inside-forward Outside-right | 1910–1930 | – | 449 | 81 | – |
| John Stirling | Scotland | Outside-right | 1911–1914 | – | 112 | 8 | – |
| George Malcolm | England | Right-half | 1912–1915 | – | 101 | 1 | – |
| Stewart Davidson | Scotland | Right-half | 1913–1923 | – | 216 | 4 | – |
| Walter Holmes | England | Full-back | 1914–1928 | – | 174 | 1 | – |
| Jack Marshall | Scotland | Right-back | 1919–1923 | – | 121 | 0 | – |
| Robert Pender | Scotland | Left-half Inside-left | 1919–1924 | – | 110 | 10 | – |
| William Ellerginton | England | Centre-half Left-half | 1919–1924 | – | 131 | 0 | – |
| William Victor Fox | England | Full-back Left-half | 1919–1924 | – | 112 | 1 | – |
| Billy Birrell | Scotland | Inside-right Outside-right | 1920–1927 | 1926–1927 | 235 | 63 | |
| Jack Clough | England | Goalkeeper | 1922–1926 | – | 128 | 0 | – |
| Reg Freeman | England | Full-back | 1923–1930 | 1924–1926 | 187 | 0 | – |
| Robert Furguson | Scotland | Centre-half Right-back | 1924–1931 | – | 159 | 2 | – |
| Donald Ashman | England | Full-back Half-back | 1924–1932 | – | 174 | 2 | – |
| George Camsell | England | Centre-forward | 1925–1939 | – | 453 | 345 | |
| Joseph Miller | Ireland | Right-half | 1926–1930 | – | 153 | 0 | – |
| John Smith | Scotland | Full-back | 1926–1930 | – | 123 | 0 | – |
| Billy Pease | England | Outside-right | 1926–1933 | – | 238 | 102 | – |
| James Mathieson | Scotland | Goalkeeper | 1926–1934 | – | 264 | 0 | – |
| John Reid McKay | Scotland | Inside-forward | 1926–1934 | – | 109 | 20 | – |
| Joseph Peacock | England | Wing-half | 1927–1930 | 1929–1930 | 85 | 4 | – |
| Bobbie Bruce | Scotland | Inside-forward | 1927–1935 | – | 253 | 71 | |
| Jack Elkes | England | Inside-left Centre-half | 1929–1933 | – | 113 | 4 | – |
| John McFarlane | Scotland | Wing-half Inside-forward | 1929–1933 | – | 101 | 0 | – |
| John Jennings | England | Full-back Right-half | 1929–1937 | 1930–1932 | 205 | 10 | – |
| Bill Forrest | Scotland | Left-half | 1929–1939 | – | 333 | 8 | – |
| William Brown | England | Right-half Right-back | 1931–1946 | – | 274 | 2 | – |
| Tom Griffiths | Wales | Centre-half Right-back | 1932–1935 | 1932–1935 | 92 | 1 | |
| Frederick Gibson | England | Goalkeeper | 1932–1936 | – | 120 | 0 | – |
| Bobby Baxter | Scotland | Centre-half Inside-left | 1932–1939 | 193?–193? | 266 | 20 | – |
| John Martin | England | Wing-half | 1932–1939 | – | 137 | 3 | – |
| Micky Fenton | England | Centre-forward | 1932–1950 | – | 269 | 162 | – |
| Ralph Birkett | England | Outside-right | 1934–1938 | – | 101 | 36 | |
| David Cumming | Scotland | Goalkeeper | 1936–1949 | – | 157 | 0 | – |
| Wilf Mannion | England | Inside-forward | 1936–1954 | – | 368 | 110 | |
| George Hardwick | England | Full-back | 1937–1950 | 19??–19?? | 166 | 7 | – |
| Johnny Spuhler | England | Centre-forward | 1945–1954 | – | 241 | 81 | – |
| Jimmy Gordon | Scotland | Wing-half | 1946–1954 | 1951–1952 | 253 | 4 | – |
| Henry Bell | England | Wing-half | 1946–1955 | – | 315 | 10 | – |
| Richard (Dickie) Robinson | England | Full-back | 1946–1959 | – | 416 | 1 | – |
| Ronald Dicks | England | Wing-half | 1947–1958 | 1956–1958 | 334 | 10 | – |
| Tommy Blenkinsopp | England | Defender | 1948–1952 | – | 100 | 0 | – |
| Alex McCrae | Scotland | Defender | 1948–1953 | – | 130 | 49 | – |
| Lindy Delapenha | Jamaica | Forward | 1949–1958 | – | 270 | 93 | |
| Arthur Fitzsimons | Republic of Ireland | Inside-forward | 1949–1959 | – | 231 | 51 | – |
| Raymond Barnard | England | Full-back | 1951–1961 | – | 118 | 0 | – |
| Ray Bilcliff | England | Full-back | 1951–1961 | – | 190 | 0 | |
| John Brian Phillips | England | Centre-half | 1954–1960 | – | 124 | 2 | – |
| Alan Peacock | England | Centre-forward | 1954–1964 | – | 238 | 141 | – |
| Bill Harris | Wales | Inside-forward Wing-half | 1954–1965 | 19??–19?? | 378 | 72 | |
| Brian Clough | England | Centre-forward | 1955–1961 | 19??–19?? | 222 | 204 | |
| Derek McLean | England | Inside-forward | 1952–1961 | – | 123 | 30 | – |
| Billy Day | England | Outside-right | 1955–1962 | – | 131 | 21 | – |
| Edwin Holliday | England | Outside-left | 1956–1962 1965-1966 | – | 169 | 25 | – |
| Ronald Burbeck | England | Winger | 1956–1963 | – | 152 | 29 | – |
| Michael McNeil | England | Left-back | 1958–1964 | – | 193 | 3 | – |
| Bob Appleby | England | Goalkeeper | 1959–1967 | – | 110 | 0 | – |
| Arthur Kaye | England | Outside-right | 1960–1965 | – | 185 | 44 | – |
| Billy Horner | England | Defender | 1960–1969 | – | 217 | 12 | – |
| Gordon Jones | England | Full-back | 1960–1973 | 1966–1973 | 532 | 5 | |
| Alex Smith | England | Defender | 1961–1972 | – | 137 | 1 | – |
| William Lazenby Gates | England | Centre-half | 1961–1974 | – | 333 | 13 | – |
| Mel Nurse | Wales | Centre-half | 1962–1965 | 1962–1965 | 124 | 9 | |
| Ian Gibson | Scotland | Midfield | 1962–1966 | 1965–1966 | 184 | 47 | |
| Bryan Orritt | Wales | Inside-forward | 1962–1966 | – | 128 | 23 | |
| Frank Spraggon | England | Defender | 1962–1975 | – | 331 | 3 | – |
| Edward Connachan | Scotland | Goalkeeper | 1963–1966 | – | 105 | 0 | – |
| Arthur Horsfield | England | Forward | 1963–1969 | – | 127 | 56 | |
| Jim Irvine | Scotland | Centre-forward | 1964–1967 | – | 100 | 43 | – |
| Stan Anderson | England | Wing-half | 1965–1966 | 196?–196? | 22 | 2 | – |
| Richard Rooks | England | Centre-half | 1965–1969 | – | 150 | 14 | |
| Derrick Downing | England | Winger | 1965–1972 | – | 204 | 49 | – |
| Eric McMordie | Northern Ireland | Midfield | 1965–1974 | – | 277 | 26 | |
| David Chadwick | India | Winger | 1966–1970 | – | 115 | 4 | – |
| John Hickton | England | Forward Utility | 1966–1977 | – | 499 | 187 | |
| Joe Laidlaw | England | Midfield Forward | 1967–1972 | – | 128 | 23 | – |
| Willie Maddren | England | Central defender | 1969–1978 | – | 354 | 21 | |
| David Mills | England | Forward | 1968–1979 1984–1985 | – | 398 | 111 | |
| David Armstrong | England | Midfielder | 1970–1981 | – | 431 | 77 | |
| Jim Platt | Northern Ireland | Goalkeeper | 1970–1982 | ????–???? | 481 | 0 | |
| Nobby Stiles | England | Wing-half | 1971–1973 | 1971–197? | 69 | 2 | – |
| Stuart Boam | England | Central defender | 1971–1979 | – | 393 | 16 | – |
| John Craggs | England | Right-back | 1971–1982 | 1981 | 488 | 14 | |
| Alan Foggon | England | Winger | 1972–1976 | – | 141 | 50 | – |
| Peter Brine | England | Midfielder | 1972–1977 | – | 101 | 8 | – |
| Bobby Murdoch | Scotland | Midfield | 1973–1976 | – | 125 | 9 | – |
| Graeme Souness | Scotland | Midfield | 1973–1978 | – | 216 | 27 | |
| Tony McAndrew | Scotland | Central defender | 1973–1982 | 1979–1981 | 358 | 18 | – |
| Terry Cooper | England | Left-back | 1974–1978 | – | 133 | 1 | – |
| Ian Bailey | England | Left-back | 1975–1982 | – | 175 | 3 | – |
| Billy Ashcroft | England | Forward | 1977–1982 | – | 179 | 25 | |
| Mark Proctor | England | Midfield | 1978–1981 1989–1993 | – | 273 | 20 | – |
| David Hodgson | England | Forward | 1978–1982 1987 | – | 143 | 20 | – |
| Terry Cochrane | Northern Ireland | Winger | 1978–1983 | – | 128 | 12 | |
| David Shearer | England | Forward | 1978–1983 | – | 115 | 30 | – |
| Irving Nattrass | England | Right-back | 1979–1986 | 1983–1985 | 221 | 2 | |
| Mick Baxter | England | Central defender | 1981–1984 | – | 138 | 8 | – |
| Heine Otto | Netherlands | Midfield | 1981–1985 | – | 187 | 28 | – |
| David Currie | England | Forward | 1982–1986 | – | 127 | 31 | – |
| Tony Mowbray | England | Central defender | 1982–1991 | 1987–1991 | 425 | 29 | |
| Stephen Pears | England | Goalkeeper | 1983 1985–1995 | – | 424 | 0 | |
| Gary Hamilton | Scotland | Midfield | 1983–1989 | – | 268 | 28 | – |
| Gary Pallister | England | Central defender | 1984–1989 1998–2000 | – | 250 | 7 | |
| Colin Cooper | England | Defender | 1984–1991 1998–2006 | – | 423 | 14 | – |
| Archie Stephens | England | Forward | 1985–1987 | – | 107 | 27 | – |
| Brian Laws | England | Right-back | 1985–1988 | 1985–1986 | 129 | 14 | – |
| Stuart Ripley | England | Right-winger | 1985–1992 | – | 311 | 31 | – |
| Alan Kernaghan | Republic of Ireland | Central defender | 1985–1993 | 1991–1993 | 268 | 22 | |
| Bernie Slaven | Republic of Ireland | Forward | 1985–1993 | – | 381 | 146 | |
| Gary Parkinson | England | Right-back | 1986–1993 | – | 258 | 7 | – |
| Paul Kerr | England | Midfield | 1987–1991 | – | 162 | 18 | – |
| Nicky Mohan | England | Central defender | 1987–1994 | – | 131 | 4 | – |
| Peter Davenport | England | Forward | 1988–1990 | – | 28 | 5 | |
| Jimmy Phillips | England | Left-back | 1990–1993 | – | 172 | 6 | – |
| John Hendrie | Scotland | Winger Forward | 1990–1996 | 1993–1994 | 234 | 55 | |
| Robbie Mustoe | England | Midfield | 1990–2002 | – | 367 | 34 | – |
| Andy Peake | England | Midfield | 1991–1994 | – | 100 | 1 | |
| Jamie Pollock | England | Midfield | 1991–1996 | – | 193 | 19 | |
| Curtis Fleming | Republic of Ireland | Defender | 1991–2001 | – | 317 | 4 | |
| Alan Moore | Republic of Ireland | Left-winger | 1991–2001 | – | 142 | 17 | – |
| Craig Hignett | England | Winger | 1992–1997 | – | 195 | 48 | – |
| Chris Morris | Republic of Ireland | Full-back | 1992–1997 | – | 104 | 4 | – |
| Phil Stamp | England | Midfield | 1993–2001 | – | 154 | 8 | – |
| Neil Cox | England | Defender | 1994–1996 | – | 120 | 4 | |
| Bryan Robson | England | Midfield | 1994–1997 | – | 27 | 1 | |
| Nigel Pearson | England | Central defender | 1994–1998 | 1994–1998 | 139 | 5 | |
| Juninho Paulista | Brazil | Midfield | 1995–1997 1999 2002–2004 | – | 155 | 34 | |
| Fabrizio Ravanelli | Italy | Forward | 1996–1997 | – | 50 | 32 | |
| Mikkel Beck | Denmark | Striker | 1996–1998 | – | 115 | 31 | – |
| Andy Townsend | Republic of Ireland | Midfield | 1997–1999 | 1998–1999 | 88 | 4 | – |
| Gianluca Festa | Italy | Central defender | 1997–2002 | – | 171 | 12 | |
| Mark Schwarzer | Australia | Goalkeeper | 1997–2008 | – | 446 | 0 | |
| Hamilton Ricard | Colombia | Forward | 1998–2002 | – | 134 | 43 | – |
| Paul Ince | England | Midfield | 1999–2002 | 1999–2002 | 106 | 9 | – |
| Joseph-Désiré Job | Cameroon | Forward | 2000–2006 | – | 111 | 21 | – |
| Stuart Parnaby | England | Defender/Midfield | 2000–2007 | – | 128 | 4 | – |
| Ugo Ehiogu | England | Defender | 2000–2007 | – | 150 | 8 | |
| Jonathan Greening | England | Midfield | 2001–2004 | – | 109 | 4 | |
| Szilárd Németh | Slovakia | Forward | 2001–2006 | – | 146 | 29 | – |
| Franck Queudrue | France | Left-back | 2001–2006 | – | 199 | 12 | |
| Gareth Southgate | England | Defender | 2001–2006 | 2002–2006 | 204 | 4 | |
| Stewart Downing | England | Midfield | 2001–2009; 2015–2019 | – | 404 | 32 | |
| George Boateng | Netherlands | Midfield | 2002–2008 | 2006–2008 | 222 | 9 | – |
| Massimo Maccarone | Italy | Forward | 2002–2007 | – | 102 | 24 | |
| Doriva | Brazil | Midfield | 2003–2006 | – | 110 | 1 | – |
| Chris Riggott | England | Defender | 2003–2009 | – | 121 | 8 | |
| Matthew Bates | England | Defender | 2004–2012 | 2010–2012 | 126 | 6 | – |
| David Wheater | England | Defender | 2004–2011 | – | 157 | 11 | – |
| Emanuel Pogatetz | Austria | Defender | 2005–2010 | 2008–2010 | 112 | 3 | |
| Julio Arca | Argentina | Midfield | 2006–2013 | – | 181 | 9 | – |
| Jonathan Woodgate | England | Defender | 2006–2008; 2012–2016 | 2014–2015 | 112 | 2 | – |
| Gary O'Neil | England | Midfielder | 2007–2011 | – | 120 | 12 | – |
| Marvin Emnes | Netherlands | Forward | 2008–2014 | – | 161 | 41 | – |
| Justin Hoyte | Trinidad and Tobago | Defender | 2008–2013 | – | 162 | 2 | – |
| Rhys Williams | Australia | Defender/Midfield | 2009–2016 | 2012–2014 | 141 | 5 | – |
| Barry Robson | Scotland | Midfielder | 2010–2012 | – | 90 | 19 | |
| Scott McDonald | Australia | Forward | 2010–2013 | – | 124 | 49 | – |
| Ben Gibson | England | Defender | 2010–2018 | – | 204 | 4 | – |
| Grant Leadbitter | England | Midfield | 2012–2019 | 2015–2019 | 244 | 33 | – |
| George Friend | England | Defender | 2012–2020 | 2019–2020 | 299 | 10 | |
| Albert Adomah | Ghana | Midfield | 2013–2016 | – | 143 | 26 | – |
| Dimitrios Konstantopoulos | Greece | Goalkeeper | 2013–2019 | – | 112 | 0 | – |
| Daniel Ayala | Spain | Defender | 2013–2020 | – | 216 | 23 | – |
| Adam Clayton | England | Midfield | 2014–2020 | – | 241 | 1 | – |
| Dael Fry | England | Defender | 2015– | – | 241 | 2 | - |
| Adama Traore | Spain | Midfield | 2016–2018 | – | 71 | 5 | |
| Britt Assombalonga | DR Congo | Forward | 2017–2021 | 2020–2021 | 161 | 47 | |
| Jonny Howson | England | Midfield | 2017– | 2021– | 320 | 9 | |
| Marcus Tavernier | England | Midfield | 2017–2021 | – | 155 | 18 | – |
| Paddy McNair | Northern Ireland | Defender | 2018–2024 | – | 219 | 14 | – |
| George Saville | England | Midfield | 2018–2021 | – | 118 | 12 | – |
| Anfernee Dijksteel | Suriname | Defender | 2019– | – | 131 | 0 | – |
| Matt Crooks | England | Midfielder | 2021–2024 | – | 115 | 23 | – |
| Isaiah Jones | England | Forward | 2021–2025 | – | 127 | 13 | – |

## Key to positions

* GK — Goalkeeper
* RB — Right back
* LB — Left back
* CB — Centre back
* MF — Midfielder
* RW — Right winger
* LW — Left winger
* FW — Forward