Dean Smith believes Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk is an 'intelligent young man' as the Brentford head coach prepares to come up against his former Sheffield Wednesday team-mate.
The pair briefly played together at Hillsborough in the 2002/03 season with the now Boro boss joining the Owls on loan from Southampton.
And the pair stayed in the same hotel in the Steel City as Smith, who had joined on a permanent deal, settled into the club.
He said: “I was in a hotel for four weeks with him. We played alongside each other and we did very well.
“He was a good lad. You could see the career he went on to have and the captain he became at Swansea. He's an intelligent young man.”
A permanent move for Monk didn't materialise after the Owls were relegated to League One that season.
That didn't stop him from forging a strong relationship with Smith, although he denied that they got up to any mischief.
He added: “I was there for two months and he was there before me. There were about eight of us in there. (Jamaica international) Darryl Powell was in there.
“We probably didn't have the coaching ideals when we were players. We didn't have the salt and pepper pots going around at dinner time. We were sensible lads though.”
Boro are seen as one of the favourites for promotion but they, along with Brentford, haven't yet hit top form so far this season.
And Smith knows that his Bees side, who have lost every meeting with Middlesbrough since returning to the Championship, face a tough test on Teesside.
He explained: “They've got a very strong squad and one of the favourites to go back to the Premier League and rightly so with the squad and manager they have.
“I've got a lot of respect for Garry. He did a fantastic job at Swansea and Leeds United. I'm looking forward to a tough game.
“It's one defeat in six but the performances put us in a good place to go up there and get a result.”
