Leeds United v Nottingham Forest: Adam Forshaw aims to sink former manager and friend Aitor Karanka

Under the tutelage of Aitor Karanka at Middlesbrough, the Liverpudlian went to Wembley for a play-off final, later won automatic promotion and then realised his dream of becoming a Premier League regular.

Not bad for someone whose senior appearances had largely come at League One level before Karanka took him to the Riverside from Wigan Athletic in January, 2015.

“Aitor Karanka was brilliant,” the 27-year-old told The Yorkshire Post ahead of today’s reunion with his old manager.

“I had a great relationship with him and we stay in touch, every so often getting in contact.

“He helped me fulfil my dream of playing in the Premier League for more or less a full season. I will always be thankful for that.”

Karanka, as he did at Boro, has already started to make an impact at the City Ground.

Appointed last January with Forest marginally closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs, the Spaniard set about the task of weighing up what was needed to turn the two-time European Cup winners into genuine promotion challengers.

A significant summer recruitment drive that included the £13.2m capture of Benfica’s Joao Carvalho was followed by an initially slow start, five of the opening seven games being drawn.

Since then, though, Forest have hit their stride and Wednesday’s 3-0 win at Bolton Wanderers means Karanka brings his side to Leeds just one place shy of the play-offs.

Leeds, back in pole position after their own midweek triumph over Ipswich Town, also sit just four points ahead of the East Midlands club to underline just how well Karanka is faring in his second English job.

“What he does really well is organisation,” added Forshaw. “He likes his teams to play a certain way. His team has to control the play.

“For me, as a midfielder, the set-up was great. There were basically two No 6s in front of the back four. That was great.

“It allowed me to try get on the ball, switch play and try to dictate things. I enjoyed it. We got a lot of touches on the ball. The biggest thing, of course, is we had success.”

Clinching runners-up spot on the final day of the 2015-16 Championship season was undoubtedly the pinnacle of Karanka’s four-and-a-half years on Teesside.

A year earlier, Boro had been beaten at Wembley by Norwich City in the play-off final and Forshaw vividly recalls the masterly way in which Karanka ensured there was no chance of a hangover from such a crushing defeat.

“Losing the play-off final was horrible,” said Forshaw. “But we followed that by going up automatically. That was down to the manager.

“I remember him coming in the dressing room after Wembley.