FORMER Newcastle United full-back Olivier Bernard could be in line for a surprise return to the North-East after offering his services to Middlesbrough.

The 25-year-old is looking for a new club after leaving Southampton following the club's relegation to the Football league.

Bernard would relish an opportunity to stay in the Premiership and link up with Franck Queudrue - even though he would be fighting his big pal for the same place.

The pair played for the same schoolboy team in Paris - Moissy-Cramayel FC - and now, if Boro decide to act, they could link up again.

Bernard left Newcastle in January and signed a six-month deal at St Mary's after the Magpies accepted a nominal fee in light of his worsening contract situation.

The Frenchman would have been free to leave the club after declining to sign new terms offered to him by the St James' Park board.

There was a suggestion that Bernard could have moved to Boro at the start of the year but the Teessiders were reluctant to meet his wage demands - ending with the short-term move to Southampton.

Everton and Birmingham have been interested in signing the player but now, unless Boro agree to take him on board, he could turn his back on the English game and move to Spain or France.

There is a strong belief manager Steve McClaren will take Bernard up on his offer having been searching for a number of months to find a competitor for Queudrue's shirt.

Austrian defender Emanuel Pogatetz has been high on the manager's wish list since the end of the campaign but Bayer Leverkusen's valuation - believed to be £1.8m - could scupper a deal.

Pogatetz's situation is also complicated. He is on loan at Spartak Moscow and the Russians have first refusal on a permanent deal.

That is why McClaren, well aware of Bernard's ability having witnessed him in action for Newcastle in the Premiership on numerous occasions, could turn his attention elsewhere.

Mark Viduka has stepped up his training with the Socceroos and is in line to play in the Confederations Cup opening match on Thursday.

The Boro striker, who was incredibly linked with a move to Newcastle United over the weekend, has hardly kicked a ball for his club this year with a serious hamstring problem.

However, despite playing just ten minutes for his club since the turn of the year, Viduka has been training with his country and looks set to play against Germany in Frankfurt.

It is the 29-year-old's injury problems that have prompted speculation that McClaren is ready to offload the player, especially in light of the £7.5m capture of Aiyegbeni Yakubu.

And it has been claimed that Newcastle boss Souness is lining up a £6m bid for a player who only moved to Teesside last summer.