Middlesbrough captain Hayden Hackney has completed a move to Premier League club Everton.
Hayden Hackney has described his time at Middlesbrough as a ‘dream’ after he completed a move to Premier League club Everton.
The midfielder made his way through Boro’s academy system before going on to establish himself as a key figure under former manager Michael Carrick, successor Rob Edwards and current head coach Kim Hellberg. Hackney has already made over 150 appearances for his hometown club and his form over the last 12 months led to intense speculation over his future at the Riverside Stadium after several Premier League clubs were said to be monitoring his progress.
Hayden Hackney has described his time at Middlesbrough as a ‘dream’.placeholder image
Hayden Hackney has described his time at Middlesbrough as a ‘dream’. | Getty Images.
Hackney thrived under Hellberg following the Swede’s appointment last year and proved to be a big influence on a Boro side that pressed for promotion into the top flight throughout the season. However, an automatic promotion bid fell short after Hackney suffered an injury that left him on the sidelines for the final weeks of the season and a substitute appearance in the play-off final defeat against Hull City will go down as the last of his time as a Boro player.
After being linked with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Newcastle United over the last 12 months, Hackney completed a move to Everton on Thursday morning after putting pen-to-paper on a five-year deal at the Hill-Dickinson Stadium to become David Moyes’ second signing of the summer transfer window. Middlesbrough are believed to have received an initial fee of around £16m for their academy product but that figure could reportedly rise to around £25m if certain add-ons within the agreement are triggered over his time on the blue half of Merseyside.
After completing the formalities of his move to join the Toffees, Hackney paid an emotional tribute to Boro and described captaining his hometown club and the club he grew up supporting as ‘beyond his wildest dreams’ despite falling short in their bid for promotion into the top flight.
‘New chapter’
Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney has joined Everton.placeholder image
Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney has joined Everton. | Yui Mok/PA Wire
In a statement released via Boro’s social media channels, the midfielder said: “I want to say thank you to everyone connected with the club, the staff and the fans. I’ve had an amazing time at Boro and I can’t thank people enough for the support they have given me over the years. Having supported the club since I was a kid, it was always my dream to play at the Riverside and pull on the shirt. To captain the team as I went on to do was beyond my wildest dreams.
“I’ve got so many special memories from over the years and there’s been some great memories. The only disappointment was that we couldn’t quite make it to the Premier League. Boro will always have a place in my heart and I will be supporting the lads, but this is a new chapter for me and I’m delighted to become an Everton player and can’t wait for the challenges ahead.”
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